Mid Life Melanin MaMa

Hello Family,

I hope your day is going well. On this day it
was such a beautiful day out and I decided to wear this look for church
and the rest of the day. This look is not for everyone. I got alot of
the side eye in church but I am used to that. I don't have a name for
this skirt pants fit but I love it.

This is another creation by
Tem and he told me this is a reincarnation of a version of an 1980's
look. I thought I would go with a funky vintage type look. It has
been hot, hot, hot here in the Chi (Chicago) so I wanted a cool look.
This off the shoulder look was perfect weather. The neck piece was a
belt and can be used as a headband. The leather cuff was a belt that I
cut into a cuff.

I hate to post and run but I have a full day.  I will pop back in I promise. 
As always Thank you for reading, lurking, commenting or all 3. But comments are always welcome. Make today a great one.

Greetings Family,

On this day I went to another Park with my Tem. Well this is a thrifting blog and we love doing things for Free 99. My whole style is taking a subtle fashion shift from hard core androgyny to gone with the wind fabulous. Sometimes before you know it things start shifting and I am just fine with it.

Tem is such a gentlemen and a lover of fashion and old fashion and has a romantic style . I love the fashion direction my style is taking and I feel as if that is the way I'm starting to shift. I wonder how many times I'm going to say that. Oh Lawd.

Okay as usual my look is a combination of thrifted and custom made. Tem has been in a flow lately with maxi skirts with pockets and I am loving this vibrant orange maxi skirt with deep pockets. Oh How we love pockets. Again I love purses and bags but I can actually put things in these pockets without them, my pockets looking bulky. I think by the time Tem is finished I will have a wardrobe full of maxi skirts. I am just fine with it. With past count I'm am up to 4 with in different prints.

Thrifted:
White Peplum Mesh Top - Salvation Army
Gladiator Shoes
 
Bracelets- Fleek Market
Afro Earrings $1 Beauty Supply Store
Sunglasses from the Fleek Market Borrowed from Tem

Custom Made:
Orange Chevron Maxi Skirt by House of Tem (H.O.T.)

As always Thank you for reading, lurking, commenting or all 3. But comments are always welcome. Make today a great one.

Oh I included some shots that Tem Took while I was on the playground swing. I hope you all enjoy.

Greetings Family,

Today I wanted to spotlight an up and coming artist. Her name is Amaya and she has been making jewelry for 4 years. Her father is the amazing Fashioner Tem and he has been mentoring Amaya in the ways of stones and jewelry making. I have purchased several pieces from Amaya in the past Necklaces and bracelets.

I  must say that the quality and craftsman ship of the artisans pieces
that Amaya is making now is far beyond her 14 years of age. I have been
purchasing handmade custom pieces from various artist fro the past 15 years. Amaya is a rising star in herearly teenage years. I have a total of 10 customs pieces from Amaya now and all of them are at thrifty prices. Because I am a thrifter by heart but, I love to treat myself to artist made pieces.I wear hand jewelry when I do not feel like wearing necklaces or earings they just add another level of flavor to an outfit.  I love them specifically for dancing no necklaces getting caught on clothing. 

Hey Family!

What a wonderful weekend. Sunday was a Rollercoaster ride of awesome. These are the candid shots I took of a wonderful photo shoot that was put together by our very own Sassy Sister thrifting group Kelly W. and her wonderful Photographer daughter Miss. Alana

This photo shoot was as random as it was wonderful. Kelly posted a beautiful inspiration picture and had an idea to recreate it. Then she had the wonderful idea to make it happen. About 35-40 women said that they would like to be part of this iconic shot.

From there slowly but surely for whatever and. Varying reasons people could not attend the 1st planned shoot. It rained bad by the 2nd scheduled one and 3x is the charm. By then it was less than 10 of us and those whom cheered us on and gave support.

Ms. Kelly gave me life and inspiration and motivation. Having and idea seeing a vision planting it watering it and watching it grow. Again Sis thank you for this journey it won't be forgotten

I was not only dressing for the photo shoot I was dressing for the day. Church date night and photo shoot. It was such a great shoot. All around us was the heat beat of Downtown Chicago. We lived and breathed it. Chicago celebrated us with the people asking us what was going on. Citizens and touist of the Chi taking pictures and stopping traffic. People commented on how we gave them inspiration.

The last shot is the photo we wanted to recreate.

I feel as if we inspire each other. Here was my full look.

Everything Thrifted:
Butterfly African print dress $2
Leather belt $2
Headwrap from a thrifted dress
Wrist jewelry thrift store belt $1.5

Earing artist made.
Shoes new from Payless

As always thank you for reading and all are welcome. Lurkers, readers, those who like to just look. But comments are always welcome.

side note:

These pictures were taken in Grant Park at the Permanent Statues of Agora.

Here is a bit of information incase of interest:

Located along the southwest side of Grant Park, Agora is one of
Chicago’s most recent and important sculptural installations. Comprised
of 106 nine-foot tall headless torsos made of cast iron, the artwork
derives it name from the Greek word for meeting place. The figures are
posed walking in groups in various directions or standing still.
Internationally renowned artist Magdalena Abakanowicz donated the
sculptural group along with the Polish Ministry of Culture, a Polish
cultural foundation, and other private donors. Born into an aristocratic
family just outside of Warsaw, Abakanowicz (b. 1930) was deeply
affected by World War II and the forty-five years of Soviet domination
that followed. In her journals, she writes that she has lived “…in times
which were extraordinary by their various forms of collective hate and
collective adulation. Marches and parades worshipped leaders, great and
good, who soon turned out to be mass murderers. I was obsessed by the
image of the crowd… I suspected that under the human skull, instincts
and emotions overpower the intellect without us being aware of it.” The
sculptor began creating large headless figures in the 1970s. Initially
working in burlap and resin, she went on to use bronze, steel, and iron.
Although Abakanowicz hasfrequently exhibited in museums and public
spaces throughout the world— Agora is her largest permanent
installation.

Greetings Family

I wanted to share this date night custom and thrifted look.

This was our Wednesday Date night we are both big Sic-Fi fans. We love love Star Trek. Tem Designed and sewed these wonderful NFL Star Trek Hoodies. The best part about mine was it was the NFL hoodie was cut to fit a woman's body. Our outfits were custom & thrifted.

Usually I don't wear hoodies at all the women's are sometimes to small for my 2x self and the men's are to big. This one fit just right it said it was a 4x but who cares? I normally don't look at the tags or sizes and it fit perfectly. Tem custom made these the same day which was Wednesday night. We had a late night date and a stroll around downtown Chic. I love the city late at night. Just peaceful and quite.

Oh it was not to hot outside in the evening because the Chi has been getting hot and it was freezing in the movie theater.
Tem's House is a master Fashioner and he creates custom gowns,suits and other tailored made pieces.

Thrifted:

Thrift in Time
Tennis Shoes -Rocket Dogs retail $44 paid 6
Yoga pants- $3.99

House of Tem ( H.O.T.)
Jeans
Timberland Boots
News Boy Hat

Custom Made
His & Her Star Trek Hoodies.
House of Tem (H.O.T.)
https://www.facebook.com/HouseOfTem/?fref=ts

Until Next Time Be well.