Get the Look: Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys was spotted during Paris Fashion Week wearing a hot, form-fitting black and white color block dress.



I absolutely love the look and set out to find a dupe.  The first store to pop into my mind when I think of a well-fitting dress is Dorothy Perkins, and a quick visit to their U.S. website did not disappoint! I found two dresses that have similar silhouettes to Alicia's.

I actually like the striped dress the most because the color down the middle darts in more at the waist which is very slimming.  Best of all, both of these are under $70! Get them here and here. 

Hair Length Check

I'm really late doing this, but I'm just getting around to doing a hair length check. One of my goals is to retain 4 inches of growth this year so I definitely need some measurements in order to track my progress. I don't have official starting pictures from January 1st (unless I count my New Year's Eve pics), but here is my current length. As you can see from the pics, my hair is about 9-9.5 inches long in its stretched state. These pics are from March 11th after I washed and lightly blowdried my hair.

Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Getting Dressed

Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Getting Dressed 

• Organize your closet. Save time by knowing where everything is. Separate items by type (dresses,  pants, jackets, etc) and color so if you have an idea in your head you can quickly scan your closet to find the pieces to put it together.
• Keep accessories readily accessible. Organize your accessories and keep them close to where you get dressed. I used to store my jewelry in a second bedroom that  was close to my front door, BUT I hardly ever had to go into the room (other than for the jewelry) so it was easy for me to walk right past the room and forget my earrings. To fix this, I added a hanging jewelry organizer to my Christmas List last year.  Here's one that's similar to mine (link). Now I have most of my favorite jewelry items in my organizer and keep it hanging up in my closet so I can quickly make my selection in the morning.
• Plan ahead.  Prepare outfits weekly or the night before. This gives you time to iron, remove lint, and play dress up to come up with the perfect outfit when you are not in a rush!

Missed any tips in the Speed Up Your Morning Routine series? Click here to see the rest of the series. 

Act Like A Ladi...Dress Like A Diva: Light Bright

For the past few weeks the weather has been crazy. Fluctuating from snow days, to 70 degree weather, to rainy days, I've been teased with the idea of Spring weather (and Spring clothing!) only to have to bundle up the very next day.  This past week it has been sunny, but a little windy, so I chose to layer a long-sleeved blouse with a sweater to keep warm, but channeled Spring with bright, bold colors: 

Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Hair

Speed Up Your Morning Routine: Hair

I believe that in order to have great looking hair requiring minimal morning styling time,  you need to make sure you have a solid night-time routine.  Here are some tips on how to prep a number of common hairstyles at night and shorten your A.M. styling time:

• When preparing your hair for braid or twist-outs, be sure to braid/twist your hair in the direction you want it to lay, and place your part where you plan for it to be. In the morning, all you have to do is take the braids/twists apart  and your style is set.  If you take a look at this post, you can see how I positioned my twists for a twist-out that framed my face and maintained the same side part from the night before in my final style.   
• To maintain straight hair, be sure to wrap your hair, or set it on rollers as shown here.  Be sure to cover with a satin or silk scarf/bonnet!
• If wearing buns or twists (like this protective style here) style your hair at night and cover with a bonnet or scarf and all you have to do in the morning is to smooth any stray hairs.
• If wearing wet styles like a wash-n-go, forego the blowdryer and let your hair airdry (weather permitting) on the way to work with the window down, or wrap your hair in a scarf during the morning commute to soak up excess water.
• To salvage a 2nd or 3rd day style, pineapple your hair at night (placing your hair in loose buns or ponytails at the top of your head) to maintain the look while you sleep and minimize the styling required in the A.M.

Missed any tips in the Speed Up Your Morning Routine series? Click here to see the rest of the series.