Last Minute Getaway!

Posted on June 11, 2013 by brittany

Have you ever gotten a last minute invitation to getaway for a few days? Of course you accept! You are a certified travel junkie! You love a good adventure so undoubtedly you get super stoked about the trip. You are smiling from ear to ear. But wait….suddenly that happy feeling is now being overshadowed by overwhelming thoughts of “what am I going to wear?! What am I going to pack?! Do I have time to find a new outfit? I have nothing to wear!!

Well, pump your brakes ladies! Breathe I have a treat just for you! It’s a foolproof guide for a last minute summertime getaway. With this plan you will be packed and out the door in less than 20 minutes! Heck you may even have time to do that last minute manicure and pedicure before you head out.

You just need the summer time basics:

Summer Weekend Getaway Ready! by misscre8tivity featuring maxi dresses

A maxi dress or 2
A pair of denim shorts and a tee
A bathing suit of course
A pair of hoop earrings
One pair of flats and a pair of wedges to dress up a casual look
A pair of denim. I prefer white in the summer but you can also choose a dark wash.
A cute top to pair with your denim
A versatile accessory like a scarf. It can be used as a cover up for that bikini or easily converted into a dress, skirt or top if necessary.
A hat and some sunglasses (the sun is rather hot in the summer!)
A beach towel
Undergarments & toiletries are a given.

Simple, right? I told you so. You can choose a couple of items from this guide for that weekend on the beach or you can add a few items for that 4 day mini vacation at a lakeside resort. Either way, you will be packed and ready to go while having your friends/family/significant other thinking that you are some type of a packing ninja!

You’re welcome

Would you add anything to the list? Let me know in the comments down below.

Until next post,

Spring Weekends as told by my iPhone

Posted on April 21, 2013 by brittany

The past few weekends have been a blur. It’s a good thing that I am obsessed with snapping photos with my iPhone or I may have forgotten about a lot of the good and not so good things that I have experienced in the last few weeks.

Here is a break down of the photos you see.

1 & 2. Getting my exercise in.

3. Lunch at Olive Garden

4. I finally made it to the beach in my hometown area I love the beach.

5. The view from my grandmother’s hospital room on the day she passed away.

6. Hanging out with my nieces.

7. Got to see one of my childhood friends who I hadn’t seen in MANY years! He surprised me and came to my grandmother’s funeral .

8. Lots of flying to and from Texas.

9. My poor swollen face from a root canal. People lie. Root canals are painful especially if you are hard to get numb. I hope to never have to get another one-EVER!

10. Dinner on the lake with some of my husband’s coworkers in honor of a coworker who passed away unexpectedly.

11. Dinner date with my love at an old school fish camp. The food was so good! The decor…not so much.

12. My Easter swag

13. Easter brunch at MiMi’s Cafe. These roasted chicken crepes were so delicious!

14. I participated in the Relay for Life with my husband and his coworkers in honor of 5 members of my family who passed away from cancer. Only made it to 12:30 am though LOL.

15. My hubby and I went to a hot air balloon festival. Unfortunately it was too windy for the pilots to actually fly the balloons so they just used the propane flames to light up the runway instead.

16. Hubby and I had lunch outdoors at a local restaurant on the lake yesterday.

17. I have been enjoying nature for sure. Isn’t this tree beautiful?

18. Guess what? I took some flying lessons! Can you believe it? I’m sure you guys would never believe that as much as I complain about my fear of flying here on CA LOL. It was really cool to pose with this private plane at the balloon festival.

Whew! That’s a whole lot of fun in a few short weekends. I think today will be a lazy day to recoup from all of these experiences. I think I will prepare an old fashioned southern dinner for my hubby and I to enjoy this evening and catch Django Unchained finally since I just purchased the DVD.

What have you been up to this Spring? I would love to hear about it!

Until next post,

Fashionable Fridays: Coachella Craze

Posted on April 12, 2013 by brittany

Everyone has been talking about the Coachella music festival here lately. Although I don’t live in sunny California, I still love looking at the fashion that people wear to this infamous music festival. If I were going here are some of the outfits that I might pair together for the event.

Coachella Craze by misscre8tivity featuring lace up ankle booties

Of course the buck doesn’t stop here. There are so many ways to look chic and be comfortable enough to dance for hours to some of the amazing bands featured at Coachella.

Are you headed to Coachella this year? If yes, I would love to see your Coachella fashion! Tag me in a pic on Instagram @misscre8tivity or tweet me @misscre8tivity to share. If I love your look , I will feature you on my blog this weekend!

Not in the states or sunny California, no problem! Take a photo of an outfit you would wear to a music festival in your area and tweet it to me or instagram me! You never know, you could be featured here on Creativity Arise!

Happy Friday all

Current Obsession

Posted on February 1, 2013 by brittany

I absolutely love the look of fit and flare dresses! They are so feminine and flirty. They are also very versatile. They can be dressed up for a fun social event or dressed casually for everyday wear. I plan to add a few of these babies to my collection very soon. Call me crazy but I would love to be able to transition to a dress only wardrobe at some point. I feel so beautiful in dresses. The hubby loves them as well. I just have to find a the perfect style of dress to suit my body type.

Current Obsession: The Fit & Flare Dress by misscre8tivity featuring a sleeveless dress

Which look would you wear? Let me know in the comments below. Stay chic!

Until next post, Brittany

Fast Forward to Spring

Posted on January 23, 2013 by brittany

We are still having some very warm weather here in my area so I decided to fast forward my outfit for today to Spring. I am a little excited that one of this spring’s fashion trend is STRIPES! I love stripes. I have been obsessed with them since childhood. I came across a black and white striped blazer in my closet that I have only worn 1x (it’s so sad I know) so I decided to give it a little TLC today. After pulling out my blazer, I had to figure out what else I could pair it with besides the basic black pants I usually wear it with.

I stood there and started to think of my favorite colors in Spring, the pinks, blues, yellows, and greens. And then I spotted it- a simple yellow tank in my closet. I just love black and white and yellow together! So now all I had to figure out was what type of bottoms I was going to wear. I didn’t want anything to dressy, nothing “safe” but I am still a little nervous about being too “over the top.” Then I said what the heck as long as I’m not wearing my birthday suit I think I will be ok. So I headed over to my handy dandy color wheel and decided to give it a whirl. And decided to pair the items with a vibrant pair of cobalt blue pants. Here is the look.

Outfit Details: Shoes: Fioni Black Pumps- Payless

Pants: Cobalt Blue Skinnys:I have no idea

Shirt: Yellow tank: Macy’s

Striped Blazer- Nordstrom Rack

Bracelet: Kate Spade

Earrings & Necklace: Charming Charlie

It’s fun to mix and match pieces that I’ve never worn together. The color wheel has given me a lot of inspiration. It’s like looking at my closet with a new pair of eyes! Hope you all are having a great Wednesday!

Until next post, Brittany

CW Challenge: A warm winter day

Posted on January 20, 2013 by brittany

Whew! Seems like I haven’t been on here in forever! I guess an entire week is a long time to be separated from something you love I have been battling a respiratory infection and I am finally now feeling about 75% better. I said I wanted to lose a couple of pounds in the new year and it looks like I accomplished that involuntarily LOL! I’m not complaining though

Today is a rather unseasonably warm day. The temperature here in my area is currently 72 degrees. My hubby and I figured we would be crazy not to take advantage of this great weather so we are taking this opportunity to cook out on the grill. I decided to go for a more casual look today since we are just chillaxin’. I decided to create an outfit around the colors red purple and yellow green. They are complementary colors on the color wheel. Here is what I came up with.

I paired the red purple shirt and green cargo skinny pants with leather accents for a bit of edginess. Honestly I don’t need the jacket but I thought the outfit looked much better with it. Can you believe I have never paired these items together? I think this outfit is so cute. It is simple yet stylish.

Outfit Details

Shoes: Madden Girl by Steve Madden- DSW

Cargo skinny pants: I honestly have no idea! They are OLD!

Shirt: Forever 21

Necklace: NY & Company

Faux leather jacket: Ross

Handbag: No 7 Satchel from Henri Bendel (Christmas gift from my honey )

Earrings: No idea

Well I am about to head back outdoors before the sun sets. Hope you all are having a great Sunday! I am praying that these little pesky germs will go away so I can really get into this challenge It’s so much fun shopping in my own closet and I have only just begun.

Until next post, Brittany

Trend 2013: Emerald

Posted on January 13, 2013 by brittany

Emerald green has been named the Pantone color of the year. I guess I could get down with that. Honestly when I first heard what the color of the year was I immediately thought about leprechauns, pots of gold and the luck of the Irish. I’m sure many of you were thinking the same thing. No? Awkward… where’s a neuralizer when you need one? (FYI: a neuralizer is the thingy they use on Men in Black to erase people’s memory.) Stay with me people.

Green is actually one of my favorite colors. I usually gravitate towards lighter shades of green but I think I could get used to this rich jewel tone. Although I like the color, I realized that I only have one top that fits in with this trend. I’m not about to run out and purchase any more clothing items in emerald. I don’t think it’s a color that I would wear frequently. There are only so many ways you could wear it before it became a little boring in my opinion. So my simple solution to this dilemma is to accessorize! I decided to show you all the different ways I would dabble in this trend without spending a fortune.

Luck of the Irish! by misscre8tivity featuring leather bags

So do you plan to rock this trend this year? How will you wear it?

Until next post, Brittany

30 day Color Wheel Fashion Challenge!

Posted on January 12, 2013 by brittany

As I looked back through some old pictures from last year I realized that my fashion sense is well…a little “safe”. I was a bit disappointed because I am such a creative person and I love fashion! I have always admired those who could think outside the box and were bold enough to experiment with fashion. As you guys may have read in my goals for 2013 post, my ultimate goal for this year is to live my life with no regrets. So I figured why not try out some bold outfits for myself? I rushed to my closet excitedly but to my dismay there were no items that screamed “bold fashionista” in there. So I just stood there trying to figure out how I could pull off a bolder look with the pieces I currently own. I have decided that I am not shopping for a while. I have another goal to limit my shopping to 2x a month max and save more money. That means no shopping spree for me…so I had to come up with a solution. I have some great pieces in my closet, I just have to figure out how to wear them.

Then it hit me. The biggest problem with my fashion sense is that I don’t really have a clue about what colors complement each other. I wear the same colors together over and over again. That just makes things a little dull and boring. So I did a little research about color theory. I discovered that I could wear bolder outfits by just incorporating more color. Don’t worry I don’t plan to look like a bag or skittles or a box of Crayola crayons. I want to be a little more stylish not make people think I have gone mad. So I am challenging myself to use the color wheel to create outfits of the day for the next 30 days.

30 day color wheel fashion challenge by misscre8tivity featuring a rainbow umbrella

Since I wear uniform to work 2-3 days a week, I will only have a few days a week to play dress up in my closet. So here is the challenge:

1. Use the color wheel to construct and outfit from clothes already in your wardrobe. This will be an incentive for all of us trying to save a little cash.

2. Photograph and share your outfit each day either on Creativity Arise’s Facebook page, send a picture via Twitter to @brittanmichelle using #30dayCWfashion, or post it on your personal blog let me know so I can check it out.

Simple enough right? Well join in on the challenge! Here is a link to an interactive color wheel that I will be using to help me figure out color complements. Some awesome bloggers have also written posts about color theory and color complements. You can find those posts here, here, and here.

I am hoping by the end of this challenge that I will fall in love with my wardrobe all over again. Are you up for the challenge?

Until next post, Brittany

New Year’s Eve Lookbook!

Posted on December 26, 2012 by brittany

New Year’s Eve Lookbook! by misscre8tivity featuring beaded necklaces

No matter what your plans are for this New Year’s Eve, make sure that you dazzle your family and friends with a little inspiration from these festive looks! A little sparkle never hurt anyone!

Catalogue of Style: Party Central!

Posted on December 19, 2012 by brittany

As you guys know, it’s that time of year…party time! Everyone seems to be having parties for holidays, birthdays, graduations, etc. I attended not 1, not 2, but 3 Christmas parties just last week. One of the gatherings was an event my husband and I hosted at our home. I called it a Happy Hour Christmas Social because we served appetizers and drinks from 5-7 for his coworkers after work. It was loads of fun. We attended Christmas parties hosted by our employers as well. Of course the first thing I thought was what am I going to wear to all these parties?! They all had different themes so I couldn’t wear the same thing (and of course I didn’t want to)! So here are 2 of the 3 looks I came up with.

Party #1 (Super Casual!) Happy Hour Christmas Social for this party I wore a gold and white sweater with some dark washed jeans and boots. I was too exhausted to take a picture in this look

Party #2 (Office Party Chic)

This party was hosted in a faculty member’s home. My employer is an esteemed university so of course my outfit couldn’t be too avant garde or I may have been shunned! So instead I chose to put together an outfit that I like to call “office party chic”. Not to flashy but with enough glamorous elements to get heads turning. The outfit actually received lots of compliments especially this lovely thrifted black velvet blazer that I lovingly refer to as “the Hef”. It gets rave reviews every time I wear it out. Here is a photo of that look.

Party #3 was my husband’s company Christmas party. The theme for that party was “Putting on the Ritz”. It was supposed to be very glamorous and fun to dress up for. Apparently some people at the party didn’t get the memo LOL! I had 2 fancy dress options in my closet but I ended up deciding to go with old faithful-the LBD (little black dress). I absolutely love this peplum dress. I have probably worn it at least a dozen times since I got it from Macy’s in 2011. It is so versatile! The only thing I do jazz it up is add different accessories and a statement belt. In this look, I paired it with a bold red belt from my second dress option and beautiful red and silver chandelier earrings. Later I added some swag with a faux fur shrug for some added interest and texture. This look also got lots of compliments. I wish I could dress up everyday. I enjoy it but I know I would get the stank eye for wearing this type of ensemble to the grocery store or while running errands. But my mantra is everyday that we have life is a celebration so why not dress for the occasion?

PS: This look is currently featured in the Naughty or Nice contest sponsored by Chictopia. I would love it if you voted for me! Here is the link:
http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/782044-Putting+on+the+Ritz-peplum-dress
Thanks for your support

So how many parties have you gone to during this holiday season? Have you dressed super glamorous, avant garde, semi casual or comfy? What was your favorite moment from the parties? I have several but I will narrow it down to one at my husband’s company party. One of his coworkers had gotten a little lets just say… intoxicated. He yelled out at another one of my husband’s coworkers “Hey buddy, I think you need to slow down on your drinking. You are getting drunk! I’m starting to see 2 of you” LOL. Needless to say we took him home that night.

Hope you guys are enjoying the season so far!

Until next post, Brittany

Giveaway Alert

Posted on November 26, 2012 by brittany

Today as I was browsing my Twitter feed I came across an awesome giveaway hosted by Essence Magazine (@essencemag) so I thought that I would share it with you. They are giving away “a fab fuschia “Newbury” satchel from the LAUREN Ralph Lauren collection” . It is adorable. Any fashionista would be lucky to own it! Here is a link to the giveaway details. If you have time try your luck at winning this bag. The rules are pretty simple.

Have you heard about any other fabulous giveaways lately? Share them with us!

Until next post,

Brittany

Catalogue of Style: Sunday in the Garden

Posted on November 26, 2012 by brittany

Today was a rather laid back day for my hubby and I. We didn’t do anything really noteworthy. My husband has been working diligently to complete his final grad school project and I have been well…let’s just call it experimenting. Lucky for you all, I have a lot of blog posts planned for the future Anywho we decided to go outside for a while to get some fresh air after being cooped up in the house all day. To my surprise it was very warm! So my hubby was gracious enough to take some marvelous pictures of me in the garden. He did an awesome job!

Notice anything different about me? I’ll give a few seconds to figure it out….. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Ok by now you should have realized that my hair is different! This is one of the many experiments I have been trying out this week. I am on a hair journey to learn how to manage my natural hair. My hair is rather curly & coily! It’s usually difficult to manage but I have been doing a lot of research on different products, hairstyles, etc. to try to work it out. I really like this hairstyle. It’s really effortless and no heat needed which is a definite plus! I am going to try not to do any braids in my hair for the rest of the year. Let’s see how this goes.

I love this oversized cardigan! It’s a new purchase I got from NY and Company during their Everything 50% off sale. I was initially wearing my gray flat boots with this outfit but the hubby said I was in gray overload so I switched it for these black flat boots (I think the gray looked better).

I picked one of the beautiful roses in my garden. Can you believe this things are still blooming in the fall? I love this color. It’s so vibrant. I never realized how hard it was to break the stem on these things.By the time I finally got this one of the bush, I had been stuck by a thorn at least 3 times. It’s beautiful though so I will let it slide.

I hope your Sunday went well. Did you do anything exciting? I would love to hear about it!

Until next post,

Brittany

For the Love of Winter Tag!

Posted on November 25, 2012 by brittany

As you all know winter is quickly approaching. I for one am very excited. Although I love the fall as well, winter is my absolute favorite season (especially because I get a break from these horrible allergies). So I decided to create this tag post entitled For the Love of Winter to tell you about my favorite things about this season.

1. What is your favorite thing about winter?

My absolute favorite thing about winter is the brisk cold air!! I know it sounds strange but I just love to walk outdoors and breathe in the chilling air without having to worry about my allergies flaring up. I also like that I get to experiment with fashion due to all the layering that is required during the cold winter months.

2. What is your least favorite thing about winter?

My least favorite thing about winter will definitely have to be the aftermath of ice storms. People in my area can not drive!! If you add inclement weather to that equation it becomes a freaking nightmare to try to get anywhere! My husband and I always joke that TX must sell driver’s licenses in Walmart because the drivers here would never have passed the driving test we took in SC! During the last ice storm we had there were 52 car accidents in one day! The newscasters were begging people to stay at home LOL!

Health & Beauty

3. What are your favorite skin care items for the cold winter months?

My favorite items would definitely have to be a loofah to exfoliate dry skin and 100% shea butter or shea butter body butter mixtures! Both items leave your skin feeling so soft and smooth.

4. What’s your favorite travel size hand cream?

I love the Bliss brand hand cream. They are really expensive ($8 for a tiny tube) but they leave the hands soft without being overly greasy.

5. What are your favorite eye shadow/ lipstick colors for winter months?

During the winter months, I find myself drawn to reds, pinks, and purples for my eyeshadows and lipsticks. I also like nude for the lips as well.

6. What is your favorite hair product for the cold winter months?

I love the One n Only Moroccan argan oil from Sally’s ! It makes my hair feel smooth and sleek and it doesn’t weigh my hair down.

Fashion Preference

Boots: thigh high, knee high, mid calf, flat boots, or booties?

I love mid calf boots but my go to boots are definitely my flat boots! They are practical and chic and pretty much go with anything I put on.

Got these beauties on sale at Belk for $35 USD before Black Friday I love them so much I ordered them in brown as well!

Layering: Cardigans, blazers, or pull over sweaters/jumpers?

I love, love, love cardigans! They aren’t overly bulky. They can go with jeans, dresses, skirts, or trousers. They come in different knits and colors. They are an extremely versatile item and very practical for layering. My closet is filled with cardigans!

Accessories: Hats, scarves, or gloves?

I definitely have to have my scarves! They are an essential winter wardrobe staple for me. The weather here in TX is bipolar so if its 45F in the morning by the afternoon it could be in the 70s or 80s so I really have no need for hats and gloves. Scarves will add a bit of jazz to any outfit no matter what the weather is like.

Dresses or pants (trousers)?

I love dresses in the winter. Strange I know. But all you have to do is layer a cardigan on top, add some tights and a pair of boots and you are good to go!

Life

What is your favorite winter holiday?

Well this is a no brainer for me. My favorite winter holiday hands down is Christmas! I love it’s true meaning. I love that my husband and I get to travel back to our hometowns to spend time with our family. I love going to all the Christmas parties and dinners. And I love being able to give back to those who are less fortunate. Each year my husband and I “adopt” a less fortunate child from the Angel Tree and go buy items for them so that they will have a great Christmas like the other children. I also like that most people are more friendly and happy during the holiday season.

What is your favorite drink during the cold winter months?

My favorite drink is hot chocolate with marshmallows. It’s so yummy and warm. I love to drink it while snuggled up on the couch under a blanket watching my favorite Christmas movies next to the fire.

What is your favorite Christmas movie?

My favorite Christmas movie is The Preacher’s Wife featuring Whitney Houston! I watch it every year. I also love Elf! I have seen that movie at least 3 dozen times and I still find it funny.

Would you rather…

attend a Christmas party or New Year’s Eve party?

Christmas party! I like getting all dressed up and playing the silly gift exchange games.

toast marshmallows in your indoor fireplace or outdoors at a bonfire?

Outdoors at a bonfire for sure! My cousins and I used to do this when I was younger. We would get sticks and matches and start a bonfire in a metal barrel my uncle had. We would make smores and toast marshmallows and tell funny stories around the fire. And a good time was had by all Currently we have a burn restriction in my area but I hope to get to do this when I go home for the holidays

go north to New York City or south to Miami?

I would definitely go north to NYC. It’s already pretty toasty here in TX so I would want to experience a true winter like the residents of NYC. Bring on the snow!

bring the new year in partying at a club with friends, spending quality time at home with family watching the ball drop, at church praising God for blessing you to see another year, or having dinner with family and friends?

Well in years past I have done all of the above EXCEPT partying in a club. I don’t like partying. People always tend to act crazy, someone starts fighting and then bullets start flying and I don’t have time for that. This year I think I would like to have a dinner party I always like to have a reason to decorate

create a New Year’s resolution or focus on something else?

I think I stopped creating NY resolutions about 2 or 3 years ago. I never kept them because it was just something I said in the moment. I have found that I am better at setting a realistic goal and working hard to reach it. I try not to limit myself to a certain time period.

go snowboarding, skiing, ice skating, or have a snowball fight?

I would love to go snowboarding if I could ensure that I wouldn’t slam into a tree LOL! A lot of people get brain injuries that way. My safe alternative would be to go ice skating. Although you can break some bones if you fall the wrong way I would rather risk that than have a life threatening injury.

Last but not least….

Tell me your favorite memory of winter.

My favorite memory of winter is spending time together on Christmas Eve and Christmas with my family. Every year my maternal grandmother would cook a HUGE meal for Christmas. All of my aunts, uncles, cousins, mother, brother, extended family members would attend. Then after dinner we would all go to the family room and talk for hours telling stories of things that happened that year, funny memories from years past, etc. It was so much fun! We would be laughing until the wee hours of the morning. Some of us would end up spending the night over there because we would be there so long. I loved that house and all the memories I had there. We haven’t done our annual Christmas dinner in many years. My grandmother became ill about 6 years ago so she had to sell her house and now lives with my aunt. I will always cherish those memories though.

So there you have it. The for the love of winter tag! So I guess now you are wondering who I will tag to do this post. If you are reading this post, then TAG YOU’RE IT! I would also like to tag the members of GIG, FBL, and WFBC to do this as well. If you do this post then make sure you tag me in it so I can check it out!

Catalogue of Style: a casual affair

Posted on November 17, 2012 by brittany

On Thursday evening my husband went out to a going away dinner for one of his coworker’s and his wife. We went to one of our favorite restaurants in the area. We had a great time!

It was breezy but not cold so I decided to just dress casually for the occasion. It took me a while to figure out what to wear especially since I seemed to have a developed a love/ hate relationship with most of the items in my closet LOL! Do you guys ever feel that way? Maybe its because I have had the majority of the pieces for a few years and I have styled them over and over again. I don’t know why but I am so tempted to purchase an entirely new fall/winter wardrobe because mine seems so drab and boring! Let’s see if I can talk the hubby into it Here is the look: