I recently did a photo shoot with (as a model) with photographer Rochelle Brock of Foreverfatleopard.com, for AFROPUNK FEST 2014. It was strange for me to be in front of the camera in that capacity but the experience was fun overall.

A few weeks later, B. Hawk Snipe of Pinnedxstitched.com, invited me to the AfroPunk Festival to see my images hung up in a mini gallery, of course I was excited to go, and of course I invited my fellow creative and friend, Angelica Vanessa. Bellow are images of what we wore, and what we saw.

I decided that I wanted to go with a denim on denim look and paired it with taupe boots and a taupe flowy vest, I also wore brassy jewels and a taupe bag with gold details to anchor the look. I wanted to be the triple C's (Comfy, Casual, Cute), as I was going to be walking around quite a bit.

What I wore:

3 Necklaces: Forever21, Wholesale district, Streetfair. $5-$10
Vest from H&M. $10
Denim Top from Avenue.com. $30 ( was $54, marked to $37, then coupon'ed to $30)
Jeans from V.I.M. $12
Boots from the late great Dots.com. $20

And here's the one and only Angelica Vanessa, rockin' a phenomenal color palette.

What She Wore:

Necklaces from Street fairs. $3-$7
Kimono from Marshalls. $19.99
Top from Marshalls. $12
Jeans from V.I.M. $13
Boots from Macys. $50

Some of the lovely folks I deemed to have amazing style, they actually stood out in a crowd of people doing their best to do the same.

And of course the jewels were amazing, I would wear pretty much everything. I will do a more in-depth post on Manikmag.com about theses bad boys right here.

And last but not least, I came upon artists (Mighty_Math) and Stephanie Anderson with some amazing work showcased, to which i'll be in contact with to feature on the blog soon enough.

By the end of the day I was exhausted, but all in all I had fun with mi amigo, and was delighted by all the eye candy (People, Jewels, and Art).

Ok so if you haven't noticed by now....rocking color isn't a fear of mine. I'm in love with color and the life it brings, I'm equally head over heels for prints, mixing prints, mixing colors that some wouldn't pair together, etc....

It's important that you, the onlooker, have your pupils dilated by 35% (proof that what you're seeing is providing stimulation). Though I enjoy expressing myself loudly, not saying you can't make a statement loud and clear with a minimalist approach (honestly minimalism is beautiful, at the end of the day it's an extreme all on its own and I respect it), I just prefer boldly yelling from the roof tops with splashes of color in all it's vibrant glory.

Both of these pieces are from JCPenny, were purchased at different times, and were on a serious sale. I had no idea what I wanted to pair this skirt with but I knew I didn't want my first time wearing it to be a classic black or white combo. I wanted the outfit to come to life, I wanted to to take my paint brush, canvas, and isle, and paint a sexy, vibrant, and sleek picture.

Off topic, this skirt is doing wonders for my figure, I could only imagine what it would look like with the additional support. This skirt is sucking in all the jiggly bits without me wearing any supportive-wear underneath and by just hiking it up high on the waist, I was able to draw the eye to the narrowest part of my torso.

I know a lot of bigger girls don't fancy high-waisted skirts or pants (understandably so), but there are times when it can really work, this is how:

If you wear the proper undergarments.
If the high-waisted garment has an all over print it'll help disguise the lumps and bumps.
If the pants or skirt is snug enough without being uncomfortable while acting as if you had a control-top undergarment (such as spanx).
You could also wear a jacket, cardigan, or blazer to help manipulate your shape while still allowing you to show off your high-waisted style and even your crop tops.

Disclaimer: You can't really make yourself much slimmer than you are without actually doing things that make you slimmer...like working out or changing your eating habits, but you can do some things to help achieve a smoother and more put together look. Also, don't let people tell you that disguising the things you don't like is a lack of self acceptance, there's nothing wrong with playing up your best features and detracting from the less favorable....as long as you're doing it for yourself.

I paired this outfit with my sparkly Zara kitten heels and a bold silver statement necklace....because the outfit wasn't loud enough....

What I'm Wearing:

Necklace from AFAZE. (on sale, 3 for $10)
Top from JCP.com. $21.99
Skirt from JCP. $19.99
Heels from Zara.com. $50 (Gift from the Hubz)

Afropunk Fest 2014.

Color Queen.