My Dad Is Rad

How many girls are lucky enough to say they get great fashion finds handed down to them by their dad?? My hand is in the air! Check out the old motorcycle jacket my dad decided to retire to me, when he scooped himself up a new Harley Davidson one! I'd say its right on trend now! My Dad is rad. The end.

Moto Jacket | hand-me-down from my Dad

Leotard | Capezio

Skirt | H&M 

Booties | BCBG 

Cuff | local street vendor

XOXO dré 

Beautiful Creatures

In August, I took my girls to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Among all of the fascinating animals, this Knobbed Hornbill caught my eye! Talk about a beautiful creature! There's no need for this little lady to get lash extensions! Check out the length on those babies in the second picture!

The "makeup" on this bird was so gorgeous! Between that and her lashes, I was inspired to create a similar look with my own makeup! I definitely didn't come close to the masterpiece that God created on my feathered friend, but I do think it came out rather Gagaesque, don't you think?

XOXO dré 

Crazy Hair Don't Care

As you've seen, I've gone natural letting the wild coils fly free! I'm still trying to figure out what to do on a daily basis because it's never the same on a daily basis! And for the sake of sharing, I took a few [ gasp! ] selfies! Take a look....

The Cut

Sometimes, the best hair cuts happen at midnight. Don't be fooled by my tired expression! After dré lightened my hair, she blew it out before the cut.

The Twist

I wanted to have curly hair so I twisted it. Okay, I could get used to this...

The Curl Invasion

There's been a bit of moisture in the air and when water and curly hair meet-- Honey, I shrunk the...

The Undecided

Simply that. My coils started tightening up, but I still attempted to have definition.

The Invert

I softened my natural curl by using my blow dryer and fingers. Then, I did small twists and separated in morning.

So there you have it. My hair chronicles. I can only imagine what it'll do tomorrow! What's your hair up to? Do you have a #CrazyHairDontCare attitude like me?

xo | din

It's Time To Dance

[ took this shot in Steve Madden store to get the green light from the husband! ]

Last week when I was in D.C., I went with din to pick up lipstick from MAC at Nordstrom. As we were walking through the mall to catch the metro, these neon shoes caught my eye. That's an understatement. They stopped me in my tracks! Just like din, I also needed to shake things up and a little retail therapy was just the answer!

Since then, I have been waiting for the perfect occasion to bust out my hot new dancin' shoes, and tonight is the night. I'm on my way to my friend's wedding and we're going to celebrate the night away!

 XOXO dré

sweater | Forever21
bandeau | Victoria's Secret
skirt | Victoria's Secret
shoes | Steve Madden

Global Warming | Tropical Storm

Sometimes the blend of the globe warming and a tropical storm approaching gives way to 90 degree days in October. You bet your bottom dollar that I took advantage!

My niece became fascinated with my Red My Fortune Cookie manicure and helped herself into the photo. I think she made the shot.

xo | din

shades | The LOFT
lips |  Pink Nouveau by MAC
shirt | h.i.p.
belt | thrift find
polish | Red My Fortune Cookie by OPI
dress shorts | H&M
heels | Franco Sarto

[ Smitten ]

I was craving a bubble gum pink for my lips so I grabbed my trusty mirror

[ dré ] and went to MAC to see what I could find. Fortunately, I was able to find not one, but two beautiful pink colors to shake up the greys and browns of fall fashion.

Although they are both that bubble gum color I was looking for, one is more créme-shine and the other is bold, matte. I love them both!

Want to be smitten in a new color? You can find Pink Nouveau and Pink Pearl Pop at a MAC store, counter, or online.

xo | din

[ The Breakup Text ]

I've never been one to meddle in despair. 

Not being fulfilled at a University? Transfer. Depressed under seemingly perpetual gloom? Move. Friendships that don't add value to my purpose or walk? Done. Men who don't follow through on important measures? Bye.

I'm too adventurous and curious to remain in a relationship where enrichment is lacking. Even when the relationship is with myself. 

The past couple months have just been weird. 

If it was something that I could pinpoint, I'd tackle it head on. Instead I watched as this peculiar uncertainty crept into a few different aspects of my life. Call me impatient, but I didn't want to wait around and ride it out. So, like always, I decided it was time to take action.

And, I call it: "Breaking Up With Myself"

Okay. Be bold...

When I wrote about my 2 year DC anniversary, I included three through-the-years snapshots. I was shocked to see that (with the exception of bangs) my. hair. was. the. same. [ Gasp! ] I instantly became bored. And, since every serious breakup involves a new hairstyle, seven months later I remedied that boredom by letting my unruly curls fly free. 

Literally. I've attempted to rein it in! Alas, they do what they want. More on this to come...
[ fun fact: dré lightened my color while she was here! ] 

Go on, make an investment...

It's high time I pour into others' lives! So much rejuvenation occurs when I take the focus off of me and put it on others. Specifically those who aren't familiar to me. I hope to do this, in part, through the two interest groups I started at church. One involves coffee and the other football. So far, these opportunities of fellowship have been uplifting and an opportunity for me to do things that I enjoy. Perfect at any point in life, of course, and especially a breakup.

Now, be self-expressed...

"[M]aybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."

Say what you will, but this quote from Coco Chanel really resonates with me. Being self-expressed through style choices allows confidence. "Destiny" can be anything: a man, a new friend, a potential interview. [ Why wait until you have a scheduled meeting with a stranger to put on that power suit?! ] Regardless of who or what destiny is, it feels good to be prepared! Looking forward, I've decided to shift this preparedness into another gear, and try a few bolder choices. Something's got to complement the hair right?

So, who needs a birthday or the celebration of a new year to finally make a change-- especially one that's sure to be spirit-lifting? Certainly not me. And if you've been feeling stuck, down, or nonsensical, too, I challenge you to start shaking things up today.

After all, breaking away from the downtrodden and confusion may be your access to joy, full self-expression, and a new adventure.

xo | din

ensemble | H&M
booties | Dolce Vita

A Pleasant Surprise

I'm a snob about professional beauty products. There's no other way to put it. Being raised by a beauty professional, I don't think I had any other option! I remember spending the night with my cousin one time, and I had forgotten my shampoo and conditioner at home, so I used hers. When I came home, I walked in the door and my mom could smell me! She said, "Is that Herbal Essence?!!" Ha!

That being said, I've never known the turmoil of paying full price for OPI, Creative, Essie, etc.... There has never been a reason for me to use the cheap stuff. However, I went to Walmart recently, and as I passed the beauty section, this nail polish caught my eye! There was an array of colors, and this fluorescent orange color really stood out to me! With a price so affordable I thought I would just give it a try! 

I rushed home to try it out, and was pleasantly surprised! I love the colors I purchased! They glided on nicely, and dried quickly! I still love my OPI, but it's nice to know that there is such an inexpensive line of polish, that offers such great colors! I highly recommend it!

Colors by Salon Perfect

On left-Flamingo Flair

On right-Shocked

XOXO dré 

Cover Story | October 2013

 

Que Linda! 

Is October seriously here? Yes! And the first of the month equals one thing-- a cover story! Who graced the cover on your favorite go-to fashion magazine? Well, if you picked up a Harper's Bazaar from your mailbox you saw that model icon Linda Evangelista graced the black, white, and red cover.

"We don't get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day."

The interview with Linda (proud author of the quote above!) begins on the topic of social media. We all know that whatever is read on the internet is true, however, Linda believes otherwise. So, she says she might combat the rumors and all the hype by starting up a blog.

Dear Linda, please do! Both dré and I will hit that follow button so fast-- Bloglovin', Blogspot, whatever! Especially since the icon is becoming more Olsen twin savvy. She even considers The Row a go-to label now. Could you imagine all of the fashion that will explode from a supermodel's web log? Oops, there goes that S-word. This passionate lover of fashion is truly old-school when it comes to her craft and collaborating with other artists, supermodel or not.

"You can call me whatever you want to call me. All I know is this: I'm still here."

Precisely. Linda Forever.

Click here to see Linda Evangelista's fashion shoot with Harper's Bazaar!

Harper's Bazaar - October 2013 - Linda Evangelista Cover

Happy reading,

din

fashion editor | Alistair McKimm
interview by | Derek Blasberg
photos | Terry Richardson, harpersbazaar.com

Pssst...Did you see how they snuck in a Miley cover for newsstands? Capitalizing on the VMAs much?

[ Vancouver Fashion Week Recap ] Final Look: DON DE XI

[ BACKSTAGE @ DON DE XI + GOLDIE LONDON ]

Watch the DON DE XI collection and the Vancouver Fashion Week runway come to life here. Keep your eyes glued, dré walks at 7:12, 51:25, and 54:25!

XO drédin