I don't want no trouble with the Law, Officer...

A picture is worth a thousand words. Ah, how I love these boys...

Have a Cookie...

Guess who can fit into her old skinny non stretch SIZE 4 PLAID pants again? Me! That's who! I capitalized the size 4 because size matters and is really, really important to me. Yes, I get fixated on numbers sometimes. The plaid, because, well everyone knows that Plaid just makes you look FAT, regardless (e.g see pictures above). That I actually wore them to work today means I didn't look too bad. Or didn't care. Either way, I fit - Yay! Months ago, I just knew I had lost all the 'baby weight' right? so I tried to fit into these here pants and seriously? They wouldn't even go past my knees. I kid you not. So I am shouting this from the rooftop of my blog. WOOT WOOT! And these are not your run of the mill, vanity sized pants, where everybody is a size zero (read:the gap). These are Cynthia Steffes with no stretch. The kind you have to put on with a shoe horn and pray that someone has a sewing kit nearby, just in case you get a tear in the- you catch my drift. So yeah, to celebrate this momentous occasion, I will be giving a one year Cookie Magazine subscription to one lucky reader who leaves a comment about their weight loss journey or even just to say 'Good job, Prada!'. If I get more than one response, I'll just have a raffle of sorts. (The entry ends on November 7th, so you have a week.)

I know I lost some of you at 'cookie'. Please, I am not trying to make everyone fat now that I have neared my weight loss goals. :-) Promise. Cookie magazine is simply a wicked awesome magazine for the chic, modern mama. It just rocks and is full of useful tips about everything. Granted, you may not be able to afford the $352 Burberry bib for your infant which complements the $1500 boots for you, but it's worth drooling over. And it is at no cost to you. So you have nothing to lose. Except maybe major cool points for actually admitting (gasp) that you read my blog. :)

P.s . How cute are those black and white oxfords, huh?

Have a 'sweet' day, pp

All Grown...

We are all grown up. Numero Uno turned three last weekend, Monkey boy turned 9 months that same week and I, mother of these two am well, maturing. Finally. I stuck to my guns and had a luau themed low-key production at our gym with just ten invited guests. I completely ignored the list of 18 (yes 18) kids that his teacher proffered and invited (discreetly) just his closest pals. Bad momma, I know. Nothing personal, but there is a recession, you know? And I did those parents a favor. Because who really wants to drag their child at the most inconvenient time (nap time) to yet another 3 year old bash? Exactly. Plus it was raining and hailing outside. My just styled hair went limp immediately and I did not even have a minute to apply lip gloss or change my shirt before the event. I arrived there 5 minutes after my first guests (darn those super-punctual parents) and the guest of honor arrived at least ten minutes after with his Daddy and Monkey boy. Half of our balloon arrangements got missing (it's a long story), the 'party coordinators' (Ha!) acted like they had never thrown a party for anyone before and it was each parent for themselves and their children. Hey, don't look at me lady, I paid to just show up, so there. It was a chaotic mix of scooter riding, bowling pin throwing, duckduckgoose playing three year old mess. My dear husband acted like the last place he wanted to be was at his son's party because -get this - he was tired. Well, bite me. The cake was pushed on its face by Numero Uno son and he blew out his candle before we even started singing happy birthday. But guess what? I did not freak out. I was not suicidal. I will even throw a big birthday party for Monkey Boys first. A really big, tacky, over the top one, with face painting and entertainers. See, we are all 'growed' up. :)

Like fine wine, pp

Hard Times

There is so much I don't have to have anymore. With the recession, I am sure I'm not alone in this. The obligatory designer 'it bag' - at least two a year (for my birthday and Christmas) - eh. My husband is off the hook, and frankly, I'd rather have the cold hard cash. These Tory Burch boots would SO have been in my closet by now, justified by my 'fashion rationale' - "i'll have it forever.', 'why else do I work so hard?'. Er... to pay bills. Basic bills. Like cable, gas and BGE. Mmm hmm. For my boys - cause, they stay fly - recession or no recession. But I do wait for sales though, even for them. And I obsessively utilize the free returns for my online shopping expeditions. And Marshalls is my friend - especially for pajamas, singlets and winter coats for the kids, sweaters and the like for yours truly. Don't get me wrong, I'm no 'frumpy Molly' (no offence to Molly's across America.) but I rethink decisions. Alot. Like this adorable melton coat by Laundry. And this camel coat by Via Spiga. Cocktail dresses by Vera Wang, BCBG, etc. How often do I go anywhere at night, anyway? Exactly. And when I do, I am not hurting for stuff to wear. Hardly. Like a birthday party I will be attending this weekend. It's this outfit for me, a Calista Clothiers creation- accessorized with a red croc belt and some killer platforms and I'm all set. So I am all 'growed' up and so not superficial. But still fab. :)

for richer, for poorer, pp

Who's in The News?

Me! memememe! Shameless plug of me and the Gilt Groupe - which I have plugged already in a previous entry - gilty pleasures. Look at me! Please...



p.s I apologize for the lack of posts. I just hate not having any photos along with an entry, seems so empty, you know? I have a camera now, so it's all good. But just look at ME, will ya?






We caught this member wearing her Gilt Groupe purchase. Chinwe shows off a little shoulder in this smoldering, statement-making number. With a bright, eye-catching color and the right accessories to boot, this member makes styling look all too easy.
Dress: Cynthia Steffe
Hometown: Columbia, MD
Current residence: Ellicott City, MD
Favorite food: Anything spicy (over white rice)
Restaurant: Cindy Wolfe's The Charleston in Baltimore is great ... But then, there's Le Cinq in Paris...
Reading material: Autobiographies, anything by Chimamanda Adichie, fashion magazines, blogs.
Momentary style obsessions: Tory Burch boots, searching for the perfect shade of purplish/lavenderish gloss, Bottega Venetta bag and at least one Roland Mouret dress.
Style secret: Confidence is sexy. Invest in good quality, timeless classics and never pay retail for anything!
Favorite Gilt brand: I love them ALL. Equally.
Fashion icon: These days, Genevieve Jones.

Legally Blonde and other things you shouldn't admit to on your blog...

But I went to see it. The musical. The Legally Blonde musical, yes, with Elle Woods and pink and sorority girls and gratuitous 'dumbness' (or is it blondeness?). Yup, that one. And I do not feel any dumber. My I.Q doesn't seemed to have dropped. And it was fun! And I (dare I put this in writing?) actually gave the cast a standing 'o' when they were done. (Ducks out of post, in case irate intellectual throws Starbucks and/or No. 2 pencil at screen. Sneaks back in.) Who am I kidding? No one reads this blog anyway, right? Anyway, it was fun and girly and sweet and I went with my girlfriends and we all (gasp) wore something pink and had champagne and fairly good seats (because that is the one perk of being 'old', you can at least afford good seats, right?) and were not out of place and there were more thirty year olds than tweens there and even straight men (double gasp) so it was all good. But my point is, I don't do this enough - i.e hang with friends and do non-mommy stuff and I should. Point number two- I need a new camera. Exhibit A below was taken on my girl friend's camera phone. If there ever was an 'uglifier' - it's this camera. And I certainly am not that fat. So there. p.s. You should really go see Legally Blonde the musical. It was pretty good!



humming 'omg, omg you guys.." pp

The Tale of the Vintage Clogs...

Growing up, as the last of six kids (of which four are girls) as you can imagine, I wore a lot of hand me downs. Let me rephrase that, I wore a ton actually. I was always happy to get my hands on that stylish 'basket bag' or shirt or shoes, that had been passed down through a number of girls in the family. Sometimes by the time the item got to me, it was so last season. But my motto was, better to have it, than not at all. I spent what must have been thousands of hours in my neighborhood 'tailors shack' getting alterations on my 'wardrobe' for the next semester at school. There were skirts to be shortened, 'gathers' to be loosened, shirts to be turned into dresses, pants into shorts and sometimes- I kid you not - skirts. I also wore a lot of vintage, before vintage was cool. I would rummage through my mom's trunk boxes. "Seventies polyester shirts are 'in'?" Coming right up - a light beige one that only needed to be taken in at the waist ever so slightly. Long belted dresses? Score! Clogs? That one was a challenge. My mother, being a hoarder, of course had several new pairs from the seventies. Gorgeous, now that I look back , made from pure mahogany colored leather with tassels and impossibly high square polished wood heels. But the dilemma was that the very quality of the 'vintage' clogs dated them and so it would take 'mucho balls' to wear them. You see, there were two kinds of clogs being sold then. The excruciatingly ugly black dutch clogs that every one had and one slightly less ugly variation that some of the cooler chicks had. Mine was just not happening. But one Monday morning, I gathered up my insecurities and dusted off those clogs and strutted my stuff like I just bought them from Champs Elysee. Someone said 'Nice clogs" to me and my heart skipped a beat as I waited for the mocking laughter. there was none. I learned four important lessons during that period of my life: 1) You make the clothes and not the other way round, so let confidence always be your undergarment :) 2) Always, but always 'do you' - not everyone is going to get it, but you know, you're not running for president or anything so it's cool. Really, it is. 3) Make friends with a really good tailor and score yourself some free alterations 4) it's okay (kinda pretty cool actually) to be a little different and innovative.

Anyway, I saw these outrageously priced Tory Burch Clogs and it brought me full circle. I survived without them then, methinks I will make it now, n'est pas? :)

pp

PradaPrincipal, interrupted

I was going to have a glamorous pradalicious weekend. This was ordained, because, you see - I deserve it. My husband deserves it. I mean, with two little ones, let's face it - after a while it's hard to find each time for each other, or indeed, even finding each other becomes an egg hunt of sorts. Because one (or both of you) are in opposite sides of the house, hiding from the kids, or watching your shows, or just having 'me' time. So 'us time' gets lost in the shuffle often. Well, Friday night was going to be a nice adult night to do nice adult things. Like go to a premiere. Yes, it was for a Nollywood* movie, but a premiere by any other name...



It was nice to actually think about what I was going to wear. I asked my hubby what the dress code was, and of course he said "jeans and a shirt", which is manspeak for "dunno, didn't ask." Ah, men. Gotta love 'em, bless their uncomplicated souls. So, the fashion wheels started turning - I had to put together something that would not be too dressy, just in case it was a more casual affair and nothing too ' hithereIjustrolledouttabedtocometothisevent' looking. I decided on a black mini DVF wool dress with 3/4 sleeves, purple over-the-knee cashmere socks, black Maryjane shoes, with three or four silver and oxidized chunky silver bracelets and cuffs. Add hoops and a big, bold purple flower pin and I was good to go. I am currently wearing my hair in a chin length bob, so I was just going to sweep it to the side with a couple of barrettes/ hair pins by good ol' 'Goody'. And Viola! Premiere here we come.



Except life happened. And it was Nanny's week off and she actually had plans - I know, who knew, right? And could not be cajoled - nay, threatened :) into staying Friday night and leaving Saturday morning. So, yeah. I watched 'The Game' (fabulous yet underrated show by the way) upstairs in my jammies and hubby watched {insert some political show here} downstairs. Deja vu? Oui. As well as tres pathetic, while we're being honest.



The next day we all (MB, Numero Uno, PP, hubby) went to the Smithsonian to catch the Jim Henson 'Sesame Street/Muppet exhibit and the 'National Air and Space' Museum. I know, how fabulous are we?

Prada's postscript: To be honest, the sesame street exhibit was a bit of a snooze for me and numero uno son - except where they got to make 'puppet faces' and have their own puppet show. But the NASM rocked. I was all giddy with excitement and so was NU son. It was no premiere, but it was fun!

Living the life, :-) pp



*Nigerian Hollywood = Nollywood