02282012

I've been feeling a bit "down" recently. Maybe it's because of the fire in the apartment, or some disappointments, but for the most part it's not how I want to feel. My heart feels heavy, but I'm not weighed down by it, just upset.

Last week's fire left us with no hot water, no heat, no gas. Come to find out that the fire department, or insurance never put our gas back on for our floor. How did I find that out?! Well, I called the electrical company because not only was I tired of it, but the girls kept getting pissed off about it. So of course, I was just getting annoyed & aside from contacting our landlord, I contacted the electrical company. The Friday before the Sunday that the electrical/gas company came, my father attempted to fix the situation; put our boiler back on. It wasn't turning on so he suggested that I call. Finally when I did on Saturday, they came Sunday morning. When I found out what wasn't done I was just really urked by everything. Everyone started to just bother me. Good news is we got it up & running! Bad news is that it took that long for one of us to get it taken care of.

Saturday we visited Isis Jade. She is Jazz's newest addition to her family, but she definitely became a part of Steff & mine. She is the cutest little thing in the world. I have photos of her that I have to get up. I tried to keep thinking about her as Sunday came rolling in, especially with all the emotions that were flowing. I can't even get into that because it's another reason why I'm still just drained.

Right now, currently, I feel like there is so much that has to be done. Our wall in our living room is still boarded up with plastic covering it. It's like the insurance is going to take forever to approve everything for it to get fixed. There is also too much estrogen in one house for me. I wish the guest room was set up so I could lock myself in, let my mind, my body & everything be freed. With those feelings I need to get over how ungrateful & unappreciative people are. It's crazy how you just sit back & notice that those you give an arm & a leg to, they don't do it for you, but do it for someone who isn't as "important" as you thought you were. I don't need the world, thank you's are fine, but under some circumstances I shouldn't be the one giving 99%.

Anyways, besides my little rant....
I hope everyone is doing well. That people are smiling & continue to smile as I do even through all the bull crap of emotions that I feel.

One more thing, if you could all help me with a few things:

1. I need some ideas on what to cook. If there's food made at home, I'm normally the one cooking & I need some new ideas on what to cook so I don't get bored of cooking, or even just completely lost. I need new ideas for things that can be made, or what I should try to make. Any idea on ways to cook it, or styles, or marinates would be great!
2. I also need some ideas on a chore chart. I want a nice one to put on the fridge so everyone does their part. I want to make it creative & easy to switch the chores each week so not everyone is doing one of the same thing. We should all switch up on taking out the garbage, on cooking, on cleaning certain parts of the house & washing the dishes, bathroom, etc.The only thing I have done recently was get a cute grocery list from Urban Outfitters that I hope will help. Everyone checks off what we need for the house & everyone puts in the same amount of money at the first & the middle of the month to go grocery/toiletry shopping.

Please if you have any ideas for the above, please feel free to e-mail me, or leave a comment below.

P.S. Don't forget about the "All About You" photo challenge that is up. You have until Sunday, March 4th at midnight. Good luck!

xo's - Ahlexandria

All About You!

Such a simple picture can mean so many things to the person who takes it. To me this shows my surrounds, my life that can ultimately change dynamics, it can come to a stand still. It involves emotions, my mind, my being. THIS IS THE CHALLENGE!


I was very happy with the four people that entered the last one, gave themselves something to look outside of the normal realm of the world. I really enjoyed picking out a word & seeing what people could come up with. It was so creative, I enjoyed everyone's so much that I gave them all a gift card for entering & the two winners a $10 gift card.

This photo challenge I wanted to get to know people more. As you can see I posted a picture that I took & gave a detail of how it describes me. Here are the RULES:

• Those who enter must take an original photo (any camera can be used).
• With that photo you must give me a few sentences on how it describes you.
• You must comment with your name, photo link, description +& a way to contact you.
• If you blog your entry please enter the link of the post in a comment below.

EXTRAS:

• If you blog about this challenge you get an additional +1 point.
• If you follow me on here publicly, Twitter, Tumblr +1/each.
• If you tweet about this challenge & @Ahlexandria along with it.

First place winner will get a $10 gift card to Amazon.Com.
Second place winner will get a random set of earrings I created.

*All entries must be entered by Sunday, March 4th at midnight. I will then announce who is the winner on Tuesday, March 6th's blog post.

GOOD LUCK! :]

Fire Aftermath.

Yupp, that's our apartment there. That's how it looked when I first walked in. Now it has wooden boards & plastic covering it. Not exactly what you'd expect to happen, something that was completely unexpected. There was an electrical shortage in the wall which had flames on the outside of the living room window/wall to go up in flames & flames coming into the apartment. Our fire escape, as we were told, is too weak to walk on.

The worst part of all of this is the fact that we just moved in a month ago, we have new things coming in within the next week & we have to wait for our wall to be cleared by insurance to fix & then we have to repaint. Thank goodness the amount of paint we purchased was more than enough! The other downfall of all of this is that the inspectors kept the furnace of the building off. There's no heat, gas or hot water. Does anyone know what it's like to wash in cold water when it's only 40 degrees outside?! Not fun at all! Thank goodness for the people who have been helping us & offering us a shower. We do have electric in the house, but to spend money on a heater, then a hot plate so we can cook? Yeah right. So I'm asking around to see who has an extra one.

Anyways, that's enough sad news for one post. Updates:

• I am going to create & sell some studded/spiked iPhone cases once product comes in.
• I plan on having another photo challenge, which I hope brings about more entrees.
• I also plan on having a contest & give away within the next two weeks as well.
• Making earrings have been on hold, but they're going to be back in the next month.
• Keys is doing a lovely give away on her blog right now. Check that out & enter!*

Aside from all of that, I hope everyone is enjoying their week & it's going a bit better than ours, or at least mine. I want to thank you all once again for your blessing, support & kind words to help me & the ones I love get through this slump.

Stylists Straight Styling!

I am one lucky son of a gun to network with some amazing ladies. I especially follow & speak to beautiful fashionistas! When I was put in touch with Bhoranie, I had to share her with everyone. Her eye for combinations of colors & prints we wouldn't think of, her shop savvy ways & how helpful she is (not only because it's her job) to your pocket. Bhoranie is a stylist who not only makes you look good & shows you what is appealing, but she knows how to assist with your budget. She is today's feature because I honestly feel that since we all get dressed every day we can always add something new to our wardrobe.

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Your Name: Bhoranie Seide (pronounced Bore -Rah-Knee)

Website: www.unveilingstyle.com

A brief bio about you: I'm from Orlando, Florida, recently moved to New York last year to build and grow my styling company, Unveiling Style which I launched in 2010. Before moving I graduated with my degree in Business. Wanted to step out in faith and move to New York for more opportunities!

How did your start? I started as an intern for another stylist in Orlando, who gave me a opportunity to assist her in shoots. From assisting her for fashion show productions to shoots for magazines etc. 

What does your work consist of? My work consists of a lot of; research, running errands, returning pieces and checking out new emerging designers daily.

What is your inspiration for your work? My inspiration for my work is coming from all walks of life. Especially living in New York, you often get inspiration from many people on the street.  I also think being original is so inspirational. Being organic comes from within and I often try to display that in my work.

In your perspective what are some easy ways to put pieces together? I say the easiest way to put pieces together is picking that one main piece in your closet, whether it's LBD, a top or skirt, to take it and dress it up. Or even go to what your feeling that morning when you wake up. Take a chance! Just don't go out looking crazy! lol Be creative!

What are some outfits that you have put together? I'd say rocking my huge wide legged pants with a top, which I cinched at the waist. I then placed a turban on my head for fun outfit. Another one of my outfits that i put together was a purple bodysuit underneath my high waisted shorts, which I got at a random thrift store for $3 bucks! I wore it with my leopard print bracelets and bag.

What are some do's & don'ts of styling? The do's of styling: do have a lot of options, have a styling kit always on set, do have patience! Don'ts of styling: cannot be lazy because you have to do a lot of running around and complaining!

Any suggested places people should shop? I suggest shopping in stores at location or online that have unique pieces like Topshop, Asos.com, Aquabyaqua.com. I've been in thrifting for a long time now and bought a unique blazer for about $5 four years ago and it's my favorite blazer that I still wear till this day. I recommend thrifting if you like to dig for vintage gems. Shopping at consignment shops can be a good thing too especially if your looking for a statement piece!

[Are there any photos or videos you'd like to add]  I done a styling video back in 2010 with Fall trends, I plan doing more videos in the near future. 

What are others ways of contacting you/blogs to follow? You may contact me by email, Twitter, Facebook and my blog. contact@unveilingstyle.com Twitter: @UnveilingStyle www.facebook.com/unveilingstyle and www.unveilingstyle.com/blog

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UGH! & HER HAIR!
As I always say, get to know people, follow someone new. If you're interested in her services contact her, she's always willing to help anyone out. :)

Challenge Winners + Today's Incident.

As crazy as it all is, the best thing is that we're ok. Thank you for those of you who were keeping in touch with me. There's a lot more than what the video states & how it ended up happening. There was a shortage in the wall that made it go on fire. Thank goodness it was noticed right away, Jazz was off with her cousin & the people in the building called 911 & tried helping. As much as it stinks in the apartment & we have to sleep with windows open, I refuse to leave my new home. Our landlord & super (who has damage in his apartment as well), are making all efforts to make this process go quick.

Congrats to the winner! Contact you wonderful people within the next two days. <3

Valentine's Day + Challenge!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I hope everyone enjoyed themselves with their crush, the ones they love, or even just enjoying the time they had for themselves. Valentine's Day is another day of the year, but for some a special day to show how much they love someone. To me, that should be shown every chance you get. Either way though, I enjoyed mine with the ones I love dearly.

The picture in this post has to do with the challenge idea I had. Now I know it might be a little hard, but I came up with the idea by reading some photography blogs. Although the picture that I took in the bubble bath, the concept is "sensual".

The keyword for this challenge is SENSUAL.

You must take THREE pictures that show the keyword in your eyes.

When you take these photos you will LINK them to a COMMENT.

In the comment you will leave your e-mail address to contact you.

Seems pretty simple right?! But yet finding things that speak out SENSUAL may be hard.
Counts for +5 points. But creativity can win completely!

Extra points:
Must publicly follow me on Blogger +1.

If you follow me on Twitter +1.

If you follow me on Tumblr +1.

If you give me a video idea +2.

If you make a post about this on your blog +2. Put the post link as well in the comment.

This challenge will be closed by Sunday, February 19th at 5pm 11pm MIDNIGHT EST.

There will be TWO winners.

Each winner will get a $10 gift card to Amazon or any selected website of their choice.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE! :]

Hopefully I get some creative photos from all of you who enter the challenge.

xo's - Ahlexandria

Instagram'ing.

Temporary living room look. Nice to have it slightly done.

Can see that we're using our guest room as storage.

Mizi just relaxes around.

The lighting with the blinds closed in the room.

Some of Steff's birthday bottles.

The simple room I live in.

Mornings that I don't want to get out of bed.

Sunday's Curly Fro.

These are several photos that I've posted via Instagram in the past two weeks. As you can see we accomplished putting our sofa together for the living room & have it in the works, but decent enough to sit & relax in. Other things just shared about the apartment or random photos in general.

I should have been giving my body the rest that it's needed, but I've been just doing my normal day to day. I hate having to take time to get better, I just want to do what I have to. The problem with that is I have a weak immune system & by being sick & having this sickness, I won't be getting better unless I give my body that rest.

I hope everyone has been doing good. I also hope that you've been enjoying the features that I've been posting thus far. I still have plenty more to come, more people to send e-mails out to...be on the look out for that. Sharing what others do, or people that I enjoy reading or looking into, seems like the best way for others to know there's more out there then what they usually keep up on.

There's a challenge that I have set for this upcoming Tuesday. I hope that my readers are ready to join it. There is a prize involved with this challenge, so please be ready. :]

Enjoy your night ya'll. & 2 out of 5 starts to the Grammy's.

Oh Melody!

Oh goodness the lack of updates on here. Besides an interesting & fun weekend for Steffy's birthday, also getting sick out of no where & on $80 (which I still can't get over) worth of medicine, I'm trying to just rest up. I do apologize everyone for the lack of posts, but I can not slack off on the features. :]

As you all know I am a more "put things together that I think look nice" kind of girl, but also get ideas from some beautiful women with amazing style. The one thing I love about my feature for today is that she finds things at insanely good prices & puts them together in a simple way. It's never too complicated, it's nice solid tones, or prints that can just be paired well together.

Melody happens to be one of my favorite fashionistas. Besides the fact that she is completely creative & sews her own clothes in school, she knows how to help you out when you're on a budget. Even if she's not a stylist, she shows people what can be done at a low cost with her outfit of the days (OOTD).

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Blog Name: MelodiousStyle 

Your Name: Melody Rivera 

A brief bio about you: I'm a 20 year old fashion student from Orlando, Fl. I attend the International Academy of Design and Technology. I'll be graduating May of 2013. 

What does your blog consist of? My outfits of the day. 

What is your inspiration for your work? Everything and everyone around me. 

What is one goal that you've accomplished recently? Getting on the Dean's List at school. I've worked hard for the grades I have. 

What are some original pieces you've created? I've made things such as dresses, high waisted shorts, a blazer, and a cardigan etc. for final projects for various classes. 

What are some of your favorite outfits you've put together? I'd probably have to say the simple ones. But I am excited to see what outfits I put together in the future because my style is evolving. 

Any suggested places people should shop? Thrift stores. It's great finding unique pieces that you know no one else will have. You just have to be patient and have an open mind while looking around. 

What would you say to people (whether it's life related, or anything)? I would say to never give up on any goals or dreams you may have. No matter how hard things may get, or how unattainable the goals may seem, as long as you stay strong and keep pushing forward, you can do anything. 

         Others way to get in touch with you besides your blog? 

·  My personal blog: http://freelymelody.tumblr.com

·  Twitter: http://twitter.com/MelodyIvelisse

·  Email: Melody_Rivera@aol.com

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No wonder she's my lover! Brilliant, stylist & beyond stunning! LAWD. <3

Definitely take the time to check her out & follow her. Add her to your daily reads & get to know Melody. She's a sweet gal I tell yah, very sweet. & just a heads up: SHE LOVES PENPALS! ;]

1st of February & It's a Wednesday!

So you already know what that means....BLOG FEATURES!

I did this a while ago & growing to know so many people I decided I had to do it again. There are so many talented people out there, so many interesting people, I couldn't hesitate with the idea at all. I promised that after my "surprise" (which was moving into a new place) was in progress I'd start adding more to my blog. Now that we have been in the apartment for two weeks & still not completely settled in, I can't let this slip by.

My FIRST feature for this year is a lovely blogger-friend of mine, Elizabeth. I personally enjoy reading her posts about life, her beautiful daughter & how she's evolving. Her blog has a personal touch, with a hint of "Hey everyone, join in on the action." She reaches out to her readers in a creative way with her recap photos & bullets of updates & goals.

I sent Liz an e-mail of questions that I was curious about, but also for everyone else to get to know her better. Enjoy! :)

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This is Liz & her gorgeous little one Bee. One of the many reasons I love her blog.

Blog Name: Bee

Your Name: Elizabeth :]

A brief bio about yourself: Hello! I'm a twenty four year old stay at home mom. I live in sunny Florida. I love taking photos, reading and painting as my past-time. I have a soon to be 4 year old daughter nicknamed bee.I have my AA in Psychology and I'm in love with the man of my dreams.

Why did you choose your blog name?: I chose "Bee" because it's my daughter's nickname. This blog is for her, a glimpse of her toddler years so she can see when she's older.

What makes your blog original?: Hmm. I would have to say it's simplicity. I always keep it nice and simple :]

Are you different in real life from your blog?: Of course not. I'm an extremely candid person and I feel it's only fair to myself to keep it real on my blog as I do in real life.

Who gives you inspiration?: Blogger friends & life.

What is one goal that you've accomplished recently?: I graduated with an Associates in Arts from Miami Dade College.

Is there anything that you're excited about?: Our upcoming trip to Disney World! She's been asking for the past few weeks and I want to make our little girl happy.

What would you say to people (whether it's life related, or anything)?: "Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience." -Victoria Holt

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Isn't she just lovely?!

If you want to get in touch with Liz, you can check her blog BeeYum.Blogspot.Com or you can e-mail her at ElizabethMedina87@Hotmail.Com. She's a great e-pal & definitely someone you can have conversation with. Knowing that she's a young mom & raising her daughter to be so creative & think on her own, I completely commend her. Check her & Bee out!