Friday, July 31, 2009

Song of the moment


Successful- Drake feat. Trey Songz
I’m sure you’ve heard about the newest rap sensation who not only hails from the T. Dot, but is quoted by tons of rappers (and entertainers for that matter) as their fave new artist.

Drake—nee Aubrey Drake Graham—is the most talked about rapper EVER! Honestly, every time I put on the radio I hear his music. If I peruse a blog, his name will undoubtedly come up.
I'm sure his popularity is due to the fact that he is associated with Lil Wayne (FYI- Drake was a part of the fiercest bidding war ever and now has a record deal with Lil Wayne!) and his rumoured fling with Rihanna most def upped his playa status.

If his face looks familiar it’s because you may know him as one of the cast members of the highly popular television show Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Although he was cast on a teen drama, his rapping skillz are nothing to laugh at. Seriously, he doesn’t sound like an actor who’s trying their hand (or luck) at the rap game. He actually has skillz.

Hype aside, I thoroughly enjoy his new track, Successful. The beat is ridiculous, and his voice complements the tone of the song beautifully. I like that the song comes off more bittersweet and less arrogant.

I like Drake, I don’t loooove him yet. But this song makes me want to hear more from him.

Let me know what you think. E-mail me at michelle at happygrrls.com



-Michelle


Saturday, July 25, 2009

Shop Your Closet


I recently became aware of the term “shop your closet.” Being the frugal sista that I am, I’ve been practically doing it for years, but during our recent less than stable economy, I find the practice most apropos.

Shopping your closet is basically taking stock of what you have in your closet, getting rid of the old garments that you don’t wear—nor do you like, and purging anything that doesn’t fit or flatter your body. Once you’ve done that, you can see what you own, and you can construct new fashionable outfits with the clothes you already own! How cool is that?! You can always update your wardrobe accordingly.

Working a full-time job and occasionally hitting the town; I have to be quite creative with my wardrobe. I’m not P. Diddy or Beyonce—meaning I don’t have designers supplying me with free clothes, so it’s essential that I find ways to look good, be fashionable and yet save some cash.

I’m not really a trendy person. Once in a while I will buy something completely out of my comfort zone (pssst.....for some unknown reason I actually bought a pair of leggings last year—trust me, it doesn’t look good on all bodies!), but all in all, I like to buy pieces that I know I can wear again and again—which works well with the “shop my closet” concept. To update my wardrobe I buy a few of the season’s must-have pieces and pair it with my staples.

Last week I wore a LBD to work that I purchased from the Gap eight years ago and paired it with a swanky piece of jewelry. My boss took me aside and told me that she loved my outfit. I confessed to having the dress buried in my closet for years and finally taking it out and pairing it with a signature necklace. She seemed impressed! I told her that I don’t shop that much, but I do like buying pieces that not only flatter my body, but my wallet too!

See, sometimes it pays to be cheap....okay economically savvy!
-michelle

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Fashion: My colour of the moment

My colour for summer is yellow. It is so fresh, vibrant and cheery. I’m completely drawn to anything and everything sunshine hued.

On one of my weekly shopping jaunts to Winners, I timidly popped over to the shoe section. I almost never go in that section because I never find anything for my size 9 feet. But on that day, I was feeling particularly hopeful so I checked out the semi-stocked shelves. My eyes spied a bright yellow pair of flats. Side bar: I love flats but I’m a short grrl, and I like to wear shoes with a bit of height. I did like the shoe, but I hemmed and hawed over the fact that they weren’t platforms or wedges, so I put them back down.


I went to Winners two weeks later and I saw the same pair of shoes I saw previously, so I tried them on. Grrrls, I fell in love. Damn, they looked good on me! They added that little bit of colour that I really wanted. I picked them up quickly so no one would get their grubby little hands on them! Yes, I get a little psycho when I see something I like. This fab pair of shoes was only $29.99. Score one for me!

Update: I’ve worn this pair of shoes at least 10 times since I made this purchase, and I always get compliments.

I’m not a major purse person. I, unlike my sister, don’t own an ungodly amount of purses and bags. It’s kinda sad because I basically use just one (gasp!) for every occasion.

But I was on a mission to buy a cute purse for the summer season. I looked for ages. I saw purses that were okay....but I wanted something fun. Something that made people stop me on the street and say, “hey, I really like your bag!” Okay, not really, but you know what I mean!

On yet another shopping trip to Winners (I have been shopping at Winners a lot lately!), I saw a citrusy coloured bag. There were a plethora of yellow bags, but this one spoke to me.

It’s a medium sized, non-leather bag with a braid design on the front. I picked it up and it just felt right in my arms. I totally needed a moment alone with the bag!

After posing in the mirror with the bag for about 5 minutes, I decided to pay. Buying the bag was a no brainer. It met the requirements—it was yellow, looked cool and was the perfect size.

My new go-to bag cost $29.99. Yay for me!





-michelle


Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Great new products for summer!


Silky Smooth

You can always count on Lush to have a product that makes you feel great.

I received a box of goodies a while ago, but I only recently had the chance to try their latest product, Sugar Scrub. It’s an exfoliating sugar which scrubs away dead skin cells, tackles cellulite, and invigorates sluggish skin. Honestly, what else can a grrl want? LOL

While in the shower, I applied the scrub to my thighs and booty, and yes, I noticed a difference. My skin was as smooth as silk. It doesn’t rid you of that pesky cellulite per se, but your skin is sooo smooth and soft, it really doesn’t matter.

This product gets a stamp of approval from me!

So Refreshing

Question: What feels good on a scorching hot day? Answer: A tall cool glass of water. (okay, any icy cold alcoholic beverage ain’t bad either!!)

But what happens on those days when you need to quench your thirst as well as pamper your parched sun soaked skin?

L’Occitane has come out with a Citrus Verbena Revitalizing Mist for your face and body. It gives you some relief on those unbearably hot days (we haven’t had them in a while..but it’s good to be prepared). All you have to do is spritz it on your face (watch your eyes!)or body when you need shelter from the hot weather.

I had the chance to use it on a couple of hot days, and it did provide relief from the hot sun, but I will admit that I enjoyed the fresh citrusy smell the most.
-michelle