That Christian Omeshun Love Part 2!

February 18, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Hey Everyone so Valentines Day just passed. I hope none of my single ladies let the day of love bring them down. For years, Valentine’s Day has been a holiday reserved exclusively for those in a serious relationship, dating or married, meaning those of us not spending the day with a significant other often felt like we were missing out.

However, if Valentine’s Day is a celebration of “LOVE” like they say, it seems only right that we should spend it with whoever we love doing what we enjoy – even if that’s not necessarily a romantic partner. It can be spending time with your self, a pet or even some close friends.

I don’t think anyone should let one made up holiday make them feel sad and depressed just because they don’t have a significant other. I rather spend the day surrounded by friends letting them know how much I love and appreciate the support they give me every day. Life is already hard as a woman and being a black woman it’s even harder. So this year I got to celebrate Valentines Day again decked out in a fabulous dress from Christina Omeshun .The founder A’Shontay Hubbard based out of a ATL makes custom made to dresses and outfits for women size 12-30+ ( Yesss to being size inclusive) I love that she caters to all body types in the plus size market whether big or small. My wonderful friend and fellow blogger Chardline gathered us all together to rock our custom made dresses to celebrate the joys of friendship and loving one another on Valentines Day.

The ladies and I all had fun feeling like goddess taking on the town. I loved being able to connect and chat with the ladies. Surrounding yourself with woman who support you and believe in you, tell you that you can achieve your dreams and that you are beautiful and intelligent, is invaluable. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of women to spend Valentines Day with. Now enough about that let’s get into these looks.

CO Velvet Sparkle Gown

CO Velvet Ruffle Flare Set

CO Reversible Sequin Dress

CO Iridescent Sequin Gown CO Kaftan Gown

CO Triple Ruffle Dress

Why I Am Proud To Be Afro-Latina

July 31, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Often as a child, I struggled with trying to figure out exactly where the hell did I fit in with everyone. According to society, I was always pressured to pick a side; I either wasn’t “Black Enough” or “Latina Enough.” I recall as a child coming home crying to my mom because the little Spanish girls in my dance class didn’t believe I was Puerto Rican. The girls were always mean and teased me because I didn’t have the same hair or speak Spanish. I was heartbroken as a kid dealing with the teasing, why did I have to prove to people what I am. Today as a proud Afro-Latina woman I am honored to identify with two incredible sides. It took time and growth, but I learned it’s okay to embrace both my Black side and the Latin side.

So I know you’re probably reading this like what is this Afro-Latin/a word I hear her using. Afro-Latin Americans or Black Latin Americans refers to Latin American people of significant African ancestry. Now that’s Wikipedia definition but depending who you ask the answer can vary. Afro-Latin in my eyes is someone like me! A person who’s not only Black but also mixed with Puerto Rican.

Celebrating Two Sides
As an Afro-Latina I have the privilege of having two different backgrounds come together. I have the best of both worlds mixing two cultures together. Family gatherings are always full of lots of love and food because you have everything from Arroz con Gandules, Fried Chicken, Pernil, and Mac&Cheese. It’s like an assortment of flavors all under one roof( trust me once you mix Mac&Cheese with Pernil you’ll never turn back lol). It’s also cool because I know so much about music; I grew up listening to salsa and bachata but also embracing artist like Patti Labelle, Whitney Houston, and Diana Ross.

Spanish
People assume that because you are an Afro Latina you should speak Spanish. So many times in my life folks have asked “How are you Spanish ,if you don’t speak Spanish?”. Easy because my house was Americanized my father is Black and we spoke English. Hence, on my mother’s side, the majority of my family speaks Spanish and English also known as Spanglish. Therefore I grew up speaking English, Of course, my mom’s mother talked to me in her native Spanish language, and I took a few classes, but I’m still not 100% fluent. At the end of the day, I’m not less Latina because I can’t speak fluently I just happen to be raised more Americanized than most fully Latin families.

Hair and Skin
Being Afro-Latina our hair texture and complexion is very unique because it can vary from person to person. Some people have curly thick hair while others have kinky straight hair. I use to wish my hair was more like my mom’s which is very fine and curly. Now I love and embrace the thickness and fullness of my Afro-Latina hair due to the endless possibilities when it comes to styling. My skin color is another unique trait being Afro-Latina . Afro Latins come in a wide range of skin tones from Chocolate, Caramel, White Chocolate, and Mocha. I know I’m describing it like food, but that’s the sweetest thing about us. No matter our skin or hair texture we are all beautiful in our own way.

Heritage
With having African and Latin roots, I descend from two powerful groups of people. I made it my duty to understand the trials and tribulations my ancestors faced and issues people of today battle. It makes me so overjoyed to identify with being an Afro-Latina. It feels incredible to stand next to my brothers and sisters in the fight for Black Lives Matter and come together to raise money for the influential citizens of Puerto Rico during such a tragic time. Both sides of my heritage are not only fighters but are strong trailblazing people who have all overcome so much adversity to be where they are today.

No matter how many times people deny me of being Latina because I can’t speak Spanish fluently. Or I’m not black enough to fight for black rights, I always remember I’m black and beautiful and just as Latina as anyone. I only have one little difference I am Afro-Latina, and that’s what makes me unique.

Thanks For stopping by

Vana

The Big Fig Mattress:Bedroom Makeover

July 17, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Hey everyone, Hope all is well in the world. I recently did my room over, and wanted to let you all know about my new bed from The Big Fig that’s AMAZING!

I moved into a new place and wanted my bedroom to be something new and fresh. This meant getting rid of my old bed and getting a new bedroom set and room layout. The mattress I had been sleeping on was TERRIBLE, and I refused to take it with me to my new home. When Big Fig reached out to me on doing a review it came in perfect time. I have since been sleeping on my brand new Big Fig mattress which has been some of the best sleep EVER! I wanted to make sure if I told y’all about it, I had gotten as much rest possible on it to give a fair accurate review.

Before I had my Big Fig mattress, I honestly can’t even tell you where my old mattress was from or the brand. All I can recall was the springs were super loud and it was only like 3 years old. I loved how soft my old mattress felt, but my back didn’t love the way that mattress felt. The last 4 months of me sleeping on my old mattress my back was aching every morning that I woke up. When I received the Big Fig mattress I was a little skeptical seeing that it’s a firmer higher mattress. The mattress was delivered to me by Big Figs white glove service where they put together your entire bed for you. Big Fig is an ultra-durable mattress designed for sleepers on the heavier side. The mattress is made for larger figures who may have had issues in the past with a mattress sagging, softening, loss of support or comfort over time.

The Big Fig company boasts that their bed, box spring, and railings can hold up to 5000 pounds. Now, I haven’t put that to the test HAHA! but I’m sure it stands true. I have the Queen size Mattress and did some jumping on it just to test it out. I will say it’s very sturdy and durable just like they advertise. I love that it comes with a 20-year warranty which shows how much they believe in the product, that’s more than any average mattress company offers.

There’s honestly not a single bad thing I can say about my new bed. I do miss the softer mattress, but since switching to the firmer side of the mattress world I think they won me over. The Big fig mattress really has given me some great sleep and really supports my back and body frame. We as humans spend a good amount of time sleeping, so why not be comfy doing it. My dog Henny even loves my new bed. I sometimes think he likes it more than me because I always catch him sleeping on it.

So if you’re in the market for a new bed that supports a plus size frame or just a taller built. I say check out the Big Fig it’s so worth the investment. Also If you order make sure to use my code VANABLACK at checkout for $100 off your purchase. Everyone deserves to have a nice comfy sleep and the Big Fig makes sure of that.

As Owl ways thanks for reading

Vana

Disclaimer: I was not paid to review, but received a complimentary mattress, from Big Fig.

The All Pink Outfit

May 7, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Hey guys!! Hope you all had a great weekend either celebrating the Kentucky Derby or indulging in Tons of tacos for Cinco De Mayo. Sadly I didn’t engage in either of the weekends events. Which is kinda sad because I’m a HUGE Mexican food lover. If anyone mentions a word about Tacos or Elotes I’m asking where and when? All that means is this week I need to make sure to get some tacos in my belly to make up for lost time.

It’s a new week and MAY is here! I absolutely love May because it’s my Birthday month and we can you start losing the layers of clothing and bringing colorful clothing back into our lives. May brings flowers, pastels, and nice warm weather. Since my Birthday is in May, I indulged in some light shopping in case I make birthday plans. Now yall know I had to venture to my favorite store TARGET. I purchased the cutest all pink outfit by A New Day, and I just had to share it with my readers because it was totally out of my element.

An all pink get up is not something I normally would buy. I must admit though, ever since I seen J.LO do an all pink Monochrome outfit, I always kept the idea in the back of my mind to try it someday. I guess the fashion gawds must have remembered because I finally found the perfect outfit. I purchased a pair of pink pants and a pink blazer that could be paired as separates or together. As soon as I laid eyes on it I immediately thought of the J.Lo outfit. I put my own little spin on the look to really customize it to my style. I paired my pink pants and jacket with a pink suede crop top from Society Plus and some comfy block heels. The pants are super stretchy and easy to move in. I love that the jacket can be either styled with the pink pants or with jeans. I was just so excited. I got a cute pants suit for half the money of an actual suit. The colors all flow together so it’s not too overpowering, nobody wants to look like walking cotton candy lol. I think A New Day really hit this one out the park with these pieces.

What do yall think of my Monochrome outfit? Would you wear an all pink outfit or is that just to much color for one look. Let me know in the comments. As Owls ways thanks for stopping by and Owl see ya Soon.

Polka Dots Are Back On The Scene

April 17, 2018 · 1 Comment

Hey, Guys hope all is well out there in the world for everyone. I wanted to tell ya about a fashion trend that seems to be coming back on the rise. Can anyone guess what it is?….anyone?…it’s POLKA DOTS! Honestly, I have always loved polka dots since I was a kid. So I guess for me the trend never really left my closet ha ha. I know for many, polka dots became a print of their childhood and therefore a fashion HELL NO. Now that Spring is making her way into the world, well she’s trying I should say. I have been noticing black and white polka dots all over the stores and my Instagram feed. My heart is so overjoyed to find polka dots making come back. Usually, the only place I really could find polka dots was thrifting or in my grannies closet. Now polka dots are trendy all over again and taking over the fashion scene, so without any more of me babbling let’s get into my fab outfit.

My polka dot shirt is from my fav store Rainbow Shops. The Shirt is made of chiffon material and has a ruffled sleeve detailing which really gave the top a stylish edge.The Pants which are also from Rainbow were a perfect combo making the whole outfit look high quality and trendy. The pants featured a cute tie waist belt and some ruffling at the top of the hemline. Last but not least the shoes. I’m so over the days of wearing high heels ( my knees aren’t built like they use to be lol) So I threw on these cute little block heels from Amazon which are SUPER COMFY. Block heels are all the rave right now, I suggest you put down the five inches and switch to a block heel girlfriend. I was so excited for less then than $50 bucks I purchased a fun classy outfit. I think this fab combo will be a hit for the workplace or even a simple night on the town.

I’m so happy that designers are making clothing fun again. Fashion is now showcasing prints such as polka dots, florals, bold lines, and funky patterns. I’m so over everyone living the past few years in minimalist trends and boring ensembles. Its like life has been breathed back into the fashion world finally. Do ya’ll think you will partake in the polka dot fashion trend? I know I surely will because life is always better with fun prints to brighten up any day. Let me know below if this trend is a hit or miss for you. As always Thanks for stopping by and Owl See ya Later!

Outfit Details:Shirt~Pants~Shoes

Love

Vana