thats my style - Justice Fergie Lifestyle Media

Late to the Party :: On Discovering C. Wonder

April 24, 2013 By Justice Fergie 1 Comment

Ok wow. This was going to be a simple ‘That’s My Style’ post about the cute tote bag that I bought last month while on vacation. But, after spending the last 10 minutes on their website, it’s turning into a full-on entrepreneurial crush.

They call themselves “a shopping destination that transports women into a world of luxury and surprises.”

I’d have to agree.

While in the Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego over Spring Break, I popped into a colorful store that looked right up my alley: clothing, accessories and home decor. Thirty minutes (and 1 very antsy husband) later, I emerged from C. Wonder with a striped tote, a gold letter chain, and a lime green cuff with my initial in gold. Not to be overlooked was the great customer service by the staff, the fly spiked shoes that the male clerk was wearing, and fabulous shopping bag it all came in. I mean, my heart was broken that I couldn’t find a way to travel back to Maryland with that bag.

I realize that I might sound like a lunatic – ranting about a store in a freakin’ mall. But it was truly delightful. Everything was bright and fun and preppy and pretty much everything could be monogrammed if it wasn’t already. As if that weren’t enough, you don’t actually buy the items on the floor, like in any other store in the mall. They take the item from you and bring you out an untouched one from the back, making you feel special and like you’re at a high-end store.These people were in my head. I asked the clerk if there were any of the stores on the East Coast and – ding, ding, ding! – it turns out that there’s one about 25 minutes away from my house.

So I made a note to write a quick post when I got back home. And then I read the brand story (like I always do) and found the creator’s video of his upbringing and his mission for the store. Love.

Apparently there is some hateration floating around about the store because the founder is Tory Burch’s ex-husband and some say he’s imitating her style for at a more affordable price point (which is maybe why I was drawn to the store in the first place, since I love me some TB). Still, I’m a fan. And I’ll be back.

It just screams Life Is the Party.

*for the record: this is SO not a sponsored post!

Filed Under: Style, success, thats my style Tagged With: Branding, C. Wonder, retail, shopping

Mother’s Day Must-Have: The Genet Scarf by ONE and fashionABLE

April 11, 2013 By Justice Fergie 1 Comment

My last Rock Your Party newsletter focused on the magic of successful collaborations. Besides JT and Jay-Z collaborating on “Suit and Tie“, there’s another recent collab that I’m in love with: The Genet Scarf – the beautiful and brilliant product created by my beloved ONE Moms (I’m a community partner), fashionABLE and ALT Summit.

Here’s the story:

Congratulations to Janette, ONE Moms, the ALT ladies, fashionABLE and, most of all, Genet, for taking a grim situation and using your talents and strength to turn it around and create something so positive and so beautiful. A very Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!

Filed Under: family, Style, thats my style

That’s My Style: #SWIBA Edition

March 19, 2013 By Justice Fergie 10 Comments

I was in Atlanta this past weekend attending, and keynoting, the Stiletto Women in Business Awards hosted by the brilliant Karlena Wallace. And, wow! I’m so glad that I was invited to be a part of the event because it was so, so special on so many levels.

It was intimate. After being at a 25,000 person event last weekend, it was delightful to be at an event where you can meet, speak with and hug everyone in the room. That’s so my speed – being able to connect with people and have meaningful conversations. Like the one I had on Friday night with Alisha of Enchanted Events and Kemya of Phisco Marketing – we talked about marketing strategies, homeschooling and how to properly value and price our services…all over mystery cocktails. During that reception, I also felt a kindred spirit vibe with Laurie, the eFlirt Expert as we chatted about all things SXSW to how get startups funded (she’s, ahem, way ahead of the game than I am on that).

It was fly. Just look at the design elements above, you guys. I knew it was going to be a top-notch event because in the weeks leading up to SWIBA, Karlena’s team was on point with the speaker coordination. I took notes. All I have to say is that each speaker was gifted a pair of stilettos. YES.

Clockwise, from left to right:

1) Me, snapping a pic in the mirror before heading downstairs to the event. At the very last minute I changed from my planned flowy brightly printed dress and red blazer to a more sleek and city look {skirt: Zara; sweater: Rock & Republic for Kohl’s; necklace: Kohl’s; bracelet: Malonda Richard-Sia; shoes, nude, patent, peep-toe stilettos – not pictured: Jessica Simpson}

2) The centerpiece at my table. Yes, those are actual stilettos. And a small clutch with flowers pouring out – so chic!

3) The awards program.

4) My handpainted name badge.

5) Stiletto cookie by Amusing Treats. It tasted as good as it looked.

It was inspirational. I thrive on hearing stories from amazing women who are doing amazing things. Every single person in that room was a boss. I especially enjoyed listening to serial entrepreneur, Jen Groover; Katrina Harrell, spiritual business and life strategist; and Jennifer Nelson, a health and pop culture writer; and Camille Allen, the Reinventionista.

Not only did I receive inspirational words by way of the speakers and award recipients, but I also left with a fabulous WHO?Bag that has embroidered on this inside:

YOU ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE.

Love.

Because I nurture Blogalicious to be a platform to support women in their business and blogging endeavors – to celebrate the community – I was completely elated to see that Stiletto Woman’s mission is very similar. There are so many stories of success and service — kudos to Karlena for giving recognition to these stars.

Filed Under: Speaking Opp, Style, thats my style

Questionable Trend: Tuxedo Loafers {aka Smoking Slippers}

December 10, 2012 By Justice Fergie Leave a Comment

Now don’t think for a minute that it didn’t take me several minutes on Google to find out the correct name for these. All I know is that I have been seeing them everywhere and wanted to get to the bottom of things.

I actually bought a pair of my own tuxedo loafers back in September when I was packing for Blogalicious Weekend – I knew that I would be wearing a custom Blogalicious tee made by Shootie Girl Designs and I needed something comfy but cute to go with it. I stumbled across these when running through Sears on a errand and grabbed them on my way to the register. They worked perfectly! I got tons of compliments on them and the bling suited me well. {‘scuze the blurry camera pic}

The thing is, I’m still not 100% sold on the trend. It seems like these loafers can definitely be hit or miss depending on the day, for me. Somedays they looks too much like Hugh Hefner’s bedroom slippers or like a part of Princess Jasmine’s costume.

But other times? They are right. On. Point.

What say you?

Filed Under: Style, thats my style

That’s My Style: Howard Homecoming Weekend

November 1, 2012 By Justice Fergie 4 Comments

The weekend of October 20th was a busy one. I celebrated my 10-year anniversary of my graduation from Howard University School of Law during Homecoming Weekend; I attended and presented at the first-ever Power Up Weekend; and Hubby and I took advantage of the weekend to celebrate our 9th wedding anniversary. I threw together these looks on the fly and at the last minute, but they seemed to work well. Here’s how it went:

Friday

I had hoped to take the kids to Yardfest to give them a taste of HBCU college life but it was a dreary and rainy day so I opted not to trek into D.C. to stand around in the mud with my three crazies. Instead, they spent the day counting the minuted until we dropped them off at their cousins’ house for the weekend (which Hubs and I did gladly that evening). After making the drop off, he and I headed to U Street for drinks – something we rarely get to do!

We met up with some former classmates of mine and then headed to a house party before turning in for the night.

Saturday

I was up and out early for Power Up Weekend where I spent the day being inspired and encouraged to succeed in my personal life as well as professional. I also presented the topic of: “Blogging for Balance: Creating a Virtual Outlet for Managing Life.“

Shout out to Cristie for the awesome tweet.

After hitting the Yard with Hubby that evening and getting my fill of curry chicken, loud music and entertaining sights, we ended the night with my law school reunion dinner and then dancing.

Sunday

We ended the weekend with brunch in Woodley Park and a sun-filled drive to pick up the kiddos in VA.

A much-needed break from the everyday hustle and bustle and a perfect chance to spend some QT with Hubby and to rejuvenate my spirit at Power Up (more on the event in another post!).

Filed Under: family, Style, thats my style

#domore: Gettin’ Ultra Organized with a Plan and a Dell

September 6, 2012 By Justice Fergie 4 Comments

For the first time since Chatterbox started school 5 years ago, this year was the very first time that I felt crazed and breathless preparing for Back to School. With three kids going to three different schools, and two of them starting brand new schools, we were consumed with school supply lists, open houses, clothes shopping, getting back on a normal sleep schedule, figuring out school bus/drop offs, signing up for extra-curriculars, and…

not to mention that I am the PTA President for both girls’ schools (it sounds worse than it is – the schools share a PTA).

And so. That, combined with the fact that, HELLO!? Blogalicious is in 3 weeks, has forced this gal to get her household organized. We started with creating a Family Command Center, which I’ve been pledging to do for ages. I’ve been collecting inspiration on Pinterest left and right, but since I am not the DIY-type, I’ve been intimidated and put it off. Determined to conquer that fear, I marched into Office Depot with a plan (and three hyper kids in tow). Score! They were having a great sale and I got the whiteboard and bulletin board for $4ea! The organization gods were smiling on me. A few nails in our dining room wall later and…

A sigh of relief.

Next up was the setup my kids were waiting not-so-patiently for: their new computer corner. Since we received a new family laptop, courtesy of Dell, they could not wait to crack it open. I’d been adamant about waiting until we ‘got ourselves organized’ before introducing another element into the mix. Truth be told, I also was avoiding the long setup process that I just knew was waiting for me. After all, the Dell Inspiron 14z Ultrabook was…{GASP!} a PC! I’ve been a Mac user for the past 2+ years and was skeptical.

I’m happy to say that the joke was on me. We had the laptop out of the box, and up and running in minutes. The first order of business was to thoroughly analyze the game offerings that the Ultrabook came with.

Let’s just say, 2 weeks later, they’re still working on that.

Homework was issued this week and Giggles has already had to visit a math games website for bonus points. Meanwhile, L’il Buddy has declared this laptop “his.” We’ve got an entire school year ahead of us to grow, learn and explore, and we’re planning on making our new family laptop a big part of that.

Next up on the Get Organized list? Map out a personal schedule that fits in exercise and ‘me’ time with work and home.

I’m taking suggestions.

Disclosure: I’m stoked to be a part of the #DellDozen Experience Millenial and Mom teams as an ambassador for the Dell brand.

About the Dell Ultrabook

The Inspiron 14z Ultrabook delivers ultra-mobility and long 8-hour battery life and is ideal for those who love speed and style. The Inspiron 14z borrows features loved by XPS 13 customers, such as its portability, fast boot-up times and stylish design. The Inspiron 14z also makes it easy to enjoy music and movies on the go. With a widescreen 14” HD display, built-in Skullcandy™ stereo speakers, a built-in DVD drive and optional discrete graphics, you can stay entertained anywhere you may roam.

Filed Under: family, Style, success, thats my style Tagged With: back to school, Dell, home organization

Feeling Foxy In My Minx

August 13, 2012 By Justice Fergie 3 Comments

On Saturday I co-hosted the Unleash Your Social Media Butterfly Brand-Building Pool Party in Potomac with Nicole of Vision Quest Retreats. It was the third of five Blogalicious Meetups that we’re hosting around the country this summer and it was LOVELY. It was special for many reasons, including the fact that the women in attendance were almost all new faces (except for my girls Anne and Nae).

We shared social media tips, and brand building goals and were led through a success visualization exercise by Nicole as we noshed on fabulous food courtesy of Whole Foods – Rockville (seriously – if you are throwing a party or are in need of catering, you should definitely look no further), including artisan cookies by Carla Hall. The sponsor love was major! Case in point? The Minx manicures provided by Maisie Dunbar Spa Lounge.

It was such a treat having Maisie herself in attendance – she is a woman-owned business force to be reckoned with and shared her brand-building story with all of us. Imagine…going from being miserable in a finance career to taking an (unpopular leap) and going to nail school and starting an upscale nail spa and ending up working with the likes of Italian Vogue and Harpar’s Bazaar – there’s so much to said about following your passion.

But I digress. After the last guest got her gorgeous mani done, I sat down for mine. I have never been a big manicure person – I usually rock bare nails – but lately, I’ve been getting more adventurous. I chose a fun Minx pattern and went from there:

I’m loving my nails. And, I also see a difference in the Zoya polish that Nancy, the woman who did my mani, used. It’s much shinier and richer that the colors I normally wear (i.e. OPI or Essie or China Glaze).

I might be hooked.

Filed Under: Style, thats my style Tagged With: beauty, manicure

What to Wear to a Tennis Match (If You Aren’t Actually Playing)

August 6, 2012 By Justice Fergie 2 Comments

For my birthday last week, my sister treated me to a very grownup and fancy evening out at the Citi Open Tennis Classic in Washington, DC. Not only were we going to see some professional tennis matches, but we also had tickets to the Chef Challenge featuring a cook-off between Top Chef Star Chef Bryan Voltaggio and Chef Victor Albisu. I was psyched – but I also had no clue what to wear.

The first thing that came to my mind was “Tennis Whites!” but since I don’t play “real” tennis, I didn’t have any. Besides, I wasn’t entirely sure that Tennis Whites are supposed to be worn by spectators too, or meant only for the actual players. Shows you how much I know. I settled on a LOFT sun dress sheath that was mostly white, but that had blue and yellow stripes.

I just realized that I probably should give you some context: Hubby was going to be at work until 5pm and the tennis matches began at 4pm, which meant that I needed to deposit the children somewhere until he could pick them up. My friend, A Shorter Mama, graciously agreed to watch them for me, so by the time it was about time to leave my house, I was a frantic mess, trying to get the kids presentable and ready to leave, along with packing some snacks and toys, all while getting myself together.

I threw on the aforementioned sundress and shoved my feet into some matching sandals and grabbed a necklace before running out of the door. Luckily, a actually had my straw visor from The Bahamas, hanging on the coat rack near the front door, and tossed it into my purse. The end result was this:

I felt very summery and tennis-y and was pleased with the final product. We enjoyed the tennis matches but we both were really excited about the Cooking Challenge. We were in the VIP tent and sampled gourmet hors d’oeuvres and ice-cold beers courtesy of Corona all while watching the chefs battle it out using crab as the secret ingredient. Each chef also brought along their mixologist from their restaurant to make cocktails to accompany the dishes they were creating.

A crazy amount of laughing and a few gin-based concoctions later, I actually CHIPPED MY SISTER’S TOOTH ON HER DRINK GLASS…as my special way of saying “Thank You” for the evening, apparently.

Chef Victor ended up winning – but ’tis Chef Bryan who will always have my heart.

Filed Under: food, Style, thats my style Tagged With: celebrity chefs, cooking show, Tennis

10 Things That Make Me Happy: Stacey Edition {#my10things}

July 3, 2012 By Justice Fergie 5 Comments

Sunday night I found myself watching “10 Things That Make Me Happy” on BravoTV. Celebs Kyle Richards and Jonathan Adler gave us a glimpse into their worlds and shared the items that make them happiest and the stories behind them.

FWIW, Jonathan Adler and I have our love for the following in common: (1) GAP 1969 jeans. His, white; Mine, skinny; and (2) the Nook eReader.

In case you were wondering, Kyle Richards and I have nothing in common. Well unless you count except my love for her Chanel bags.

Given that the Internet is a vanityfest, I thought why not share 10 things that make ME happy (in no particular order) – surely someone will care.

1. Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub.

I actually look forward to washing my face with this every morning. It smells great and makes me feel like I’m doing something for my skin. Every time I stray away from this product, I end up regretting it and coming back.

2. My Engagement Ring

I’ve been wearing it for almost 10 years and I love it every time I look at it. It reminds me of that giddy feeling I felt when my Hubby gave it to me. I also love it’s strong simplicity and the reminder that Hubby selected it all on his own. Just for me. It was also a stroke of genius on his part: anytime I get frustrated with him, I look down at my hand. My very own platinum handcuff.

3. My Mayor’s Gold Hoops

Only in recent years have I really jumped on the fashion jewelry and accessories bandwagon – for years the only 2 pieces I wore were my gold hoops and my gold watch that my dad gave me. The hoops were a gift from a family friend and they are so light, so classic, so me. They go with everything and add that touch of subdued shine that works with any ensemble. I once misplaced them, about 2 years ago, and I actually was depressed for about a week before I found them in a pocket of my jeans. I love those hoops! {This pic is of the white gold version – I couldn’t find the yellow version like mine online}

4. Skinny Cow Vanilla Caramel Cones

I will never tire of ice cream. When I’m up late working or in need of an end-of-day treat, ice cream always does the trick. And these Skinny Cow ice cream cones are the truth! They taste like a Drumstick, but with half the cals.

5. My Henri Bendel Handbag

Summer before last, Hubby and I went to LA for a friend’s wedding and, because it just so happened to be my birthday weekend, we made a pit stop at the Beverly Center where I fell in love with a Henri Bendel handbag. And it became mine. I love that it has a little bit of rocker chic to it with the haardware and zippers but it is classic enough to wear wherever.

6. My MacBook Pro

This one likely needs no explanation. Two years ago I made the switch from PC to Mac and I’ve never looked back. It’s sleek, lightweight, boots up super fast, I don’t have to worry about viruses, and it has backlighting. My only beef is that it’s been freezing up on me lately, but still, my MacBook has been good to me. A blogger’s delight.

7. My Blog

I love my blog. The lovely Jo-Lynne Shane designed it for me in 2010 when I decided to re-brand from my FOODe blog to Life IS the Party. She totally got my vibe and I am still so happy with it 2 years later (which is no easy feat for my fast-paced brain). It’s not the mack daddy of blog designs, I know, but it suits me perfectly. I love the simplicity and the white space with the pops of color. And the gumdrops. How could I forget the gumdrops?

8. My Southern Living Magazine Subscription

I’ve always had a penchant for all things Southern. Which is curious given the fact that I am Canadian-born and raised. I became a die-hard fan of the magazine some years ago and almost died when I was featured it in its pages back in 2009! I so look forward to my monthly delivery of the magazine so I can devour the recipes, features on Southern business owners, and home and garden inspiration. Even my kids know not to mess with Mama’s SL mags!

9. My Stella and Dot Jewelry

This company is the reason that I went from wearing only gold hoops and a gold watch (see item #3 above) to actually rocking accessories on the regular. Almost every single piece in their collections appeal to me and I love the colors, delicate-ness and blingy-ness (Im hurting myself with the grammar here) of their jewelry. For some reason I’ve yet to host a S&D jewelry party though – maybe one of these days. Last year, Hubby bought me this necklace as a reward for my hard work on Blogalicious 2011. Love that guy. And the necklace.

10. My Coffee Mugs

Nothing says relaxation more to me than enjoying a steaming cup of tea and some quiet time (preferably with the latest issue of Southern Living magazine, see item #8, above). My pretty selection of coffee mugs adds to the experience. I’ve collected them over the years without even realizing it: some are blogger swag, others are gifts from friends and family. In fact, I’ve been thinking of starting a collection of something – I think I might already be on my way!

Filed Under: life, Style, thats my style

House Rules

June 25, 2012 By Justice Fergie 2 Comments

Sometime last year, we came up with our very own set of house rules. In fact, I had Chatterbox devise and write them – out of the mouth of babes, right?

The rules stayed up in our kitchen for almost a year, until the edges were tattered and the words faded. Recently, I unexpectedly came across two lovely ways to display out house rules that would allow them to stand the test of time and add whimsy to the decor of the room.

“We Do” Wall Art from Papersalt

Inspiration from Flickr

I like the idea of having house rules – it gives us something concrete to point to in times when our kids are questioning their choices or learning how to conduct themselves in different situations. The rules also give our family its very own “charter” and show our children that, no matter what, they will always belong to a very special club. It may sound hokey, but over time, those rules have become so much more than a list that was born out of a moment of parenting frustration.

I think it may be time to make them a more permanent – an attractive-looking – fixture in our home. Adding it to the To Do list…

Filed Under: family, thats my style