OPEN CALL/CASTING

Fashionistas W/M

Casting call for my favorite show Glee…

Dec. 17 & 18, 2010

AUDITIONS held in Chicago

For more details visit

http://www.oxygen.com

Blog – Business Minded Women, B.M.W

https://businessmindedwomen.net/blog/

KEYS101: Inexpensive Prom Dreses….last minute

Hey lifejunkies! 

Here’s a few ideas for those last minute prom dresses. I understand some of us just haven’t a clue of what to do for that special night! No worries. I’m here to save the day…. my name is Aisha Keys and I specialize in RESULTS. Let’s keep this night under $100 bucks. Watch me work. 

Keep it fun and flirty with a dress from GoJane.com Details like ruffles, feathers, and rhinestones. A perfect fit for showing off your playful side.

$46, bam!

Forever 21 is the heaven filled spot to find on-trend inexpensive clothes and accessories, but it also a perf score for an amazing prom dress. Carrying an array of straight and plus-size options, well under $50, that everyone will think are a lot more expensive.

$68, shut your mouth!

It girl destination 101- ASOS carries dozens of prom dresses. The plus-size collection is especially stellar, with on-trend looks up to size 24.

$88, yasss!

Your dream of rocking a red carpet look a la Lupita, Rent the Runway will lend you designer gowns for super-low prices. Although you have to give the gown back, you’ll feel like a celeb on your big night, #Prom2017.
 $70 rental (Badgley Mischka Utopia Maxi) walk it out!

PromGirl offers dresses that range from simple and funky to Hollywood glam. 

$99, #keysplease

Well, I hope these tips help you prepare for a night to remember…#prom2017! Also, keep the change for after prom breakfast or a weekend get-a-way with your high school crew!

xoxo,

AK

PS… I am Fashion Stylist, Personal Shopper and Image Consultant for HIRE! Bookings crazechameleonstudio.com or 202-200-8892.

SHEro….Meet Ms. Yasmine Arrington

Good day Life Junkies…. It’s been a while. I have some juicy post coming your way.

Lets kick it off with my “SHEro” spotlight with Ms. Yasmine “Yazzie” Arrington- model, educator, mentor, entrepreneur and my SHEro!

What’s a SHEro? Women entrepreneurs knocking down doors, stereotypes and stigmas placed on us daily by a society driven by social media.  SHEro’s are passionate and committed to a myriad of non-traditional occupations and support causes such as education, philanthropy, fashion, art and culture. SHEro’s create their own lane and empower other driven women to do the same.

I had the pleasure of meeting Yazzie at a National Curvy Day Event at Lord & Taylor, last year. I was greeted by her infectious smile and overjoyed by her passion and confidence which filled the room as her and other women panelist discussed fashion and its current state versus the past.

Here is the interview with Yazzie. We must have chatted for hours about her accomplishments, upcoming birthday, fashion and life. It was an organic experience.

CCS: How did you get in the business of modeling? 

Yazzie: My freshman year of college (2011), I had a friend named Rachel who was a photography major. One day, she asked me if I wanted to be her muse and do a photoshoot with her. This was the first time I had ever participated in a photoshoot that was not posing for a school picture, haha. I picked out an outfit, purchased a wig and did my own makeup! We had so much fun shooting outdoors on our college campus on a beautiful Autumn day. Rachel told me that she thought I should consider modeling. I originally thought that this would not be possible, because all my life I had only seem straight sized professional models. That’s when I decided to do research online and I discovered what has been coined as “Curvy or Plus” Modeling. I discovered modeling talent online such as Liris Crosse, Samantha Lebbie, Christina Mendez, Jeannie Ferguson, Anita Marshall and many others. Anytime I saw that one of these models was offering a modeling workshop, I would save up and pay to attend – I was very attentive and took excellent notes. Each year I do a few test shoots with well-known photographers in the industry. The ultimate goal for me is to be signed by an agency, so that I may model fit and print for national chain clothing brands and for plus clothing e-commerce websites.

CCS: What are your personal goals with you scholarship foundation?

Yazzie: ScholarCHIPS Inc. is a non-profit I started in 2010, as a junior in high school. ScholarCHIPS provides college scholarships, mentoring and a support network to local DMV youth who have incarcerated parents. Since 2012 we have awarded over $100,000 in college scholarships to 29 scholars. My goals are to expand our mentorship programming and expand our programming to include local high school students.

CCS: Classic item every person should have (male and female)? 

Yazzie: As a female you MUST have a pair, if not multiple pairs of black leggings and blue jeans. Black leggings and blue jeans go with any top and nearly any shoe. They are nice and comfortable and good for when you are “on the go.” Male and Female alike, particularly business professionals, should always have a basic black suit, navy blue suit and gray or brown suit and white button up shirt in their closet. Simple business suits are appropriate for meetings, interviews, work, formal events, speaking engagements and can be dressed up with nice ties or bowties, and for women with nice camisoles, dress shirts or jewelry.

CCS: What’s do you feel is the key to great style? Who is ur style icon? 

Yazzie: To me the key to great style is being true to your own personal taste, with clothing that is becoming to your body type. One of my style icons is Queen Latifah. As a curvy woman, I always admire her red carpet event choice outfits and elegant gowns. Her makeup is always soft and becoming and her hair is always styled very nice.

CCS: Current obsession?

Yazzie: Talenti Gelato

CCS: Favorite word?

Yazzie: Overcome

CCS: Least favorite word?

Yazzie: Can’t (cannot)

CCS: How do you relax?

Yazzie: I relax by taking some alone time to do things I enjoy. Usually this looks like me lying in bed watching Netflix or reading a good book. My ideal relaxation situation is to be lying on a hammock on a beautiful beach looking at the sky and ocean and listening to the sounds of the waves, while the sun is gently grazing my skin.

CCS: Best gift you ever received? 

Yazzie: One of the best gifts I ever received was from a friend in college for my birthday. She wrote me a beautiful note in a Papaya card (this was the first time I had ever received one of those gorgeous Papaya cards) along with a TwoFaced bronzer and lipstick. I was so surprised and touched by the gift – the makeup was also of high quality. I still keep the card on my dresser to this day.

CCS: Best gift you’ve ever given to someone?

Yazzie: I have a friend in Ghana who is a soccer player. A few years back I surprised him for his birthday and bought him some new soccer cleats, a jersey, with socks and a new soccer ball. He was truly very surprised because I did not tell him I was sending it. That was the ultimate surprise and it felt good to make someone feel surprised and happy in that way!

CCS: Tell me a secret nobody else knows?

Yazzie: Well, I guess it’s not a secret anymore but when I was younger I would rock to music to help me go to sleep and I slept with a “blanky” up through my teenage years. It was washed so much, the cloth coloring faded and eventually all the stuffing came out 🙂

CCS: What’s your Guilty pleasure?

Yazzie: Talenti Gelato or Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice cream

CCS: How can you be contacted?

Yazzie: www.scholarchipsfund.org, www.yasminearrington.com

Twitter: @ScholarCHIPS  IG @Yazziespeaks

Thank you Yazzie for allowing me into your world. It was quite a joy to bond with you while I took my daily walk. I look forward to see what the future holds for you. Continue to shine star…

xoxo,

AK

Feelosophy-Accept yourself…be you!

Good day VFJ,

Happy almost New Year. I was doing some reflecting yesterday and closing out business of 2016, awaiting 2017 and a few things hit me. One thing that stuck out in my head was me accepting myself fully in 2016….At 39, it was time. I no longer have  the same reservations as I’ve had before. 

KEYS101: Most of us spend our entire lives trying to earn acceptance. We want to earn it from our parents, peers, partners in life, people we respect, and even people we envy. The desire to be accepted drives us to do all kinds of things. It can influence the kind of clothes you wear, the kind of car you drive, the kind of house you buy, even the career you choose.
Would you agree that people do the craziest things to be accepted? As a kid you wanted so badly to be in the in-crowd that someone would say to you, “I dare you to do this,” and you’d do something stupid. You did it because your desire to be accepted overruled the desire for personal safety in your life. When you played games as a kid and teams were chosen, remember how great it felt to be picked by the best player? Remember how bad you felt when they got down to the last two or three and you still weren’t chosen?
We love the feeling of being accepted.

Being chosen does tremendous things for your self-esteem.

The fact is, some of you had parents whom you could never please. No matter what you did, it wasn’t good enough. If you got Cs, they wanted Bs. If you got Bs, they wanted As. If you got As, they wanted straight As. The tragedy is that some of you today are still trying to prove yourself to your parents. You’re still trying to earn their acceptance, but in all likelihood, you’re not going to get their approval if they haven’t given it to you by now, because that’s their problem. The good news is this: You don’t need it to be happy! There are 6 billion people in the world. If two people don’t like you, who cares? As a part of God’s family, you have been accepted by God!

I’ve known these feelings.

Now, I’m FREE.

Happy New Year. May 2017 bring you peace and blessings.

XOXO

AK

Feelosophy – FUCK GOSSIP

Keys 101: THE END of the CRAZY MAKER

Life junkies I’m sick and tired of GOSSIPING cowards! Talk to me. If I haven’t confirmed we have an issue- stop gossiping telling folks we do.

Let’s just admit it: When you have some crazy-maker in your life, and she’s (or he’s) just done the craziest thing again, it’s almost impossible not to get in the car, pull out your phone, and call somebody and say, “You won’t believe what she (or he) just did!” In fact, you may even be texting as she’s (or he’s) doing it! That’s what we do with crazy-makers. We want to tell somebody else. We want affirmation from somebody else. It’s the most difficult thing in the world to let go of it. It may feel good when we call someone to spread the word about the crazy-maker’s craziness, but it’s also unloving.
What is gossip? It’s sharing information with somebody who is not part of the problem or the solution. That person might not have had anything to do with the situation, but you bring her into it so you can feel better about yourself. Gossip, in its essence, is a form of retaliation. You’re getting back at someone without talking to her. Instead, you’re talking about her behind her back. 

Gossip is incredibly destructive. It is destructive to churches, families, and businesses. It is destructive to your life. It tears you up. It separates the closest of friends. 

The worst thing about gossip is that the crazy-maker wins! All of a sudden, that person is controlling your conversation. She’s controlling your emotions. Your whole day is about gossiping about her instead of talking about some great thing that’s happening in your life. Don’t let that person win! Don’t let the crazy-maker win by choosing gossip.

I’m sure this blog post will resonate with a few folks. Grow up people. I’m growing in love and peace of mind with the Holy Spirit- please find your solace. 

XOXO,

AK

There’s Something about Mary K!

Good day VFJ,

This F/W 16 – S/S 17 has been amazing to watch garments come down the runways and Pop Up Shops, alike.

The last couple of years Mary Katrantzou has kept me on the edge of my seat with her graphic textile like designs and now her ABC clutches (on my covet list).

Mary Katrantzou was born in Athens in 1983, to an interior designer mother and father who worked in textile design.  Graduating from her BA in 2005, Katrantzou shifted her direction from textile design to womenswear with a focus on print. And, I’m glad she did. Mary became interested in the way that printed textiles can change the shape of a woman’s body and so then went on to graduate with a MA in Fashion from Central Saint Martins with distinction.

Katrantzou’s graduating show in 2008 displayed her signature style. It was themed around trompe l’oeil prints of oversized jewelry featured on jersey- bonded dresses. These pieces created the illusion of wearing giant neckpieces that would be too heavy in reality. She also designed real jewelry made out of wood and metal that were exact replicas of the prints. From the beginning her work has been about perception and perspective and channeling that through a visual language that is used to design desirable clothes that are flattering.

Previous seasons have seen collections based on perfume bottles, artisan blown glass, interiors and objects of Art, vintage postage stamps and landscapes, to name a few, while keeping the printed image central to her aesthetic. Print, being so visual, has allowed her to create her own distinctive world but in the visual language that she creates, colour texture and shape are equally important to print; creating something new, something innovative and something that people will appreciate for its intelligent design aesthetic, as well as its function. Each print is designed around the garment, and the garment simultaneously around the print.

I told you, there’s most definitely something about Mary K!

Carry on….

XOXO,

AK

Feelosophy…

KEYS101: Time. Use your time in the best way you can” Colossians 4:5

Time is our most precious resource. It’s far more important than money. We can get more money, but you can’t get more time. We only have a certain amount allotted to us in this life. We can’t make time, we can’t borrow time, we can’t save time, we can’t extend time. We can only use it. We all have the same amount of time every week: 168 hours. If we don’t learn to manage our time well, we cannot manage anything else in our life, because our time is our life.

God is watching to see how we manage our time on this earth to determine what he’s going to have us do in eternity. He’s giving us a test, because our life on Earth is preparation for eternity. One of Satan’s strategies is to get us so busy doing unimportant things that we don’t have time for the important things in life, and we don’t spend any time preparing for eternity. Satan doesn’t have to get us to sin. If he can’t get us to be bad, he’ll just get us to be busy.

I’m working on this everyday.

Prioritizing. And, simplifying.

I need to simplify my life and eliminate distractions, so God can use me. Don’t try to do it all. Do what matters most!

Peace & Blessings,

AK