"Wine" While You Pack

What’s the best part of taking a vacation? Packing! You may be saying, “Ok. Now wait a minute Tamu; nothing exciting about packing.” I promise there is! You have your plane ticket, your passport, your packing list, your luggage out ready to be used, you have your glass of wine, while you think about all the things you plan on doing while you’re away: now it’s time to raid your closet! Choosing your clothes for vacation can be quick and easy no matter where you are heading off to! The key is choosing pieces you can mix and match.  Just for you, I have some pictures for you below to give you some ideas.

You are looking at 3 dresses, two tops, a skirt, a cardigan, and a hooded jacket. With these pieces you can easily have 6 outfits. Mix and match the tops with the skirt. Pair the dresses with the cardigan or the jacket. You could even pair one of the shirts with one of the dresses. Now ladies I know you are probably looking at the one pair of shoes, thinking, “What am I supposed to do with only ONE PAIR of shoes?!” I understand your distress. But, do you want a whole bunch of luggage to haul around just because you needed to pack every single pair of shoes in your closet?! A pair of animal/ leopard print shoes will work with any outfit! If you absolutely need multiple pairs of shoes, then pack flats and a pair of heels.

By the way, what are your next vacation plans? Where are you going? Let me know!

Cheers!

~Tamu  

LiveLoud ~ WorkSmart ~ PlayHard ~ TravelPlenty ~ DanceAlways

3 Dresses, 2 Tops, 1 Skirt, 1 Cardigan, 1 Hooded Jacket

The Cardigan and Jacket are always good to pack just in case your vacation weather switches up on you. Both of versatile layering pieces. 

The tops, the skirt, and the dresses will also give you the "casual to glamour" flip with ease. You can't go wrong with prints. Throw in a solid color dress as well to add to the versatility of your vacation wardrobe. 

Something Funky For You!

Since we’ve been throwing away fashion rules, How about those prints? The prints that we wear whether it’s 80 degrees or 8 degrees! The prints that say, “She’s Here!” How about those vibrant and exciting prints that match how you live? I want to get your opinion on a few of my own prints that I’ve been working on for a few weeks. I’ve been looking for vibrant prints that say all the above and I can’t find them. So, I created them. But these prints are nothing without you!

Now I know just looking at the pictures is like looking at a dress on a hanger: You don’t know if you like it until you put it on. I promise to show you the finished garments so you can see the prints better. But in the meantime, let me know which one you like: print 1, print 2, or neither?

You can comment on this post, send me an email (info@tamuinc.com)  or a DM on Instagram @tamuinc.

Let’s chat!

Cheers!

~Tamu

Print 1

Print 2

Did You Get Your Party Dress?!

It’s Holiday Party season! But isn’t always party season?! 

Whether you have an invitation to a party, or you are the hostess, you can make your grand entrance in The Shift Dress. The Shift Dress can be slip on-slip off, easy to style with diamonds, pearls, fur, stilettos, boots, any type of shimmer or sparkle-especially when it’s made of quality stretch fabric AND especially when it has pockets!

What are the benefits of the shift dress? The best shift dresses are made with stretch fabric. The stretch fabric allows you to slip the dress on and off with no effort, especially for that last-minute party. The shift dress also has the silhouette that is “free flowing” so it does not hug the body. This is a plus if you typically like to wear shape wear underneath your dresses. The silhouette of the shift dress frees you from shape wear! Cheers to that!

P.S. Have you signed up for my email list? When you become an Iconic Insider, you get styling, makeup, and travel tips with sprinkles of inspiration. Plus, I also send subscribers information I don’t share anywhere else.

The Fashion-gods Should Retire

I don’t know about you, but anything below 60 degrees is COLD! Period. We don’t need any other details from the weather channel. As we move into these cooler months, the days get shorter and bring us more clouds. So why do we focus on wearing darker colors for Fall and Winter? Why do we reach for neutrals instead of bright, vivid colors?

Who is the fashion-god that made up that rule? Today, we throw it away!

Bring those bright colors that you were “saving” for Spring and Summer to the front of your closet.  Instead of reaching for neutrals for the colder months, focus on the bright colors.  Buy the brightest scarf or get a multi-colored scarf. Reach for bright patterns for your winter booths. Check out the pictures below to get ideas on how to play around with bright colors for Fall and Winter.

Cheers to YOU!

~Tamu
www.tamuinc.com

T-Shirts or Diamonds?!

If you had to choose between T-Shirts or Diamonds, which one would you choose?! Before you answer, let's get through this quick styling session. 

One simple garment we forget about but might be the easiest to style- The Graphic T-Shirt. Or any T-shirt!

T-shirts are your friend, maybe not as good of a friend as a diamond, but you can still rock with a t-shirt. Why? You can wear a t-shirt with a skirt-short, long, maxi, mini, dressy, or casual!

Here’s an example: You have a two-piece top and skirt set for one outfit. Well maybe you want to switch things up and wear a different top with that skirt. Grab any t-shirt and pair it with the skirt…like magic. You just created another outfit with what you already had in your closet.

But more important, it’s a good thing you never have to choose between a t-shirt and a diamond!

Cheers to YOU!

~Tamu
www.tamuinc.com

What Kind of "Clothes-Shopper" Are You Anyway?!

When it comes to clothes, what kind of shopper are you? 

Do you shop for clothes when you have an event to go to: a party, a planned night out in a few clubs, bars, a concert, wedding? Do you shop for clothes when you have a vacation planned? Or are you one of those shoppers who doesn’t need a reason to buy a new dress? And when you find yourself shopping for clothes, do you reach for neutral colors, are you more into bright, vivid prints and colors? Do you prefer casual wear, do you prefer dresses, do you like graphic t-shirts?! 

What type of garments do you shop for? What pieces do you always want in your closet? What’s in your closet now? What garments do you want to see in your closet that you don’t have right now? 

Tell me about it!

Please comment below, send me a DM, or you can email me at info@tamuinc.com. 

Only Two Words You Need To Remember

If you don’t remember anything else about today, remember these two words: Stripes. Patterns.

Stripes don’t have to be tricky. We can make them fun. So, what do you wear with stripes? Think animal print and floral. Yes! I promise it works. Side note: Let animal print, in any dress, skirt, shirt, coat, shoe, scarf, be your all-season staple because you can wear that print with everything.  Now back to the stripes.

With any color combination stripe that you are wearing, pair it with a solid bright-colored accessory. Then cover your feet in animal print. In the first photo, you’ll see my accessory is my scarf.  You can easily switch this look around by having your feet covered in a bright color and your let your accessory carry the animal print.

Another pattern you can rock with stripes is floral! Find a bag or shoes with a floral print that either pulls from colors in your stripes or compliments the colors in the stripes. Take a peek at the second picture for an example of this combination.

Now go serve looks!

Cheers to YOU!

~Tamu

www.tamuinc.com

The Devil Wears What?!

“Flowers. In Spring. Groundbreaking.” This line, full of sarcasm and shade, is probably one of my favorite lines from the movie, The Devil Wears Prada.

Speaking of flowers, who said florals prints are only for Spring and Summer.

Let’s throw another myth away -all together now!

Here’s how you can keep your florals warm in the winter. Layer them with a soft cardigan or let them peek out underneath your fur!

Cheers to YOU!

~Tamu

www.tamuinc.com

P.S. Let me know if these styling tips are helpful. I want to you give you information that will add to your full life. If there’s a topic, doesn’t have to be fashion-related, that you ‘d like to see me cover, hit the comment button and “tell” me about it! 

Ever Been Shocked, Pissed, & Frustrated?!

I was disappointed with something that happened with my business that was completely 

unexpected.  I was so confident that the outcome would be positive that I made plans, well into next year, that were dependent on that outcome. Well…

Shocked, pissed, frustrated became my first names after I learned of the confirmed outcome. My first inclination was to react. But that initial reaction would have been a Shocked, Pissed, & Frustrated show of fireworks. So, I paused and asked the simple question, “What do I do now?” Right after, the next thought I had was "take a week off". 

Take a week off?! I tried to avoid doing that until it pierced my ears like nails on a chalkboard, so I gave in and committed to taking a week off. The first couple of days got on my nerves until but I realized how exhausted I was. The break gave me some clarity.  I’m going to have to pivot.  There are aspects of my business, that I was not going to touch until years down the line, which are now staring in my face to focus on now!

If you have received a NO to something that you were confident was an “oh hell yes”, pause.  Take a moment to allow yourself to feel every emotion: anger, disappointment, annoyed-don't ignore them or pretend as if you're not bothered. After you take yourself through those emotions, your next action steps will be of clarity and not desperation. Remember a NO is progress. Allow yourself to pivot. You will start to imagine things that you either considered and put to the side for a later date or you may start to imagine new things. Either way, grab a drink and celebrate what's to come!

~Cheers to YOU!

In the studio thinking of what's to come!

The How Is None Of Your Business!

~Cheers!

~Live Loud, Play Hard, Work Smart, Dance Always, Travel Plenty~

Is it MARTINI:30 yet?!

Raise your hand if you love a girls’ night out with good food, music, and fabulous drinks?! 

So, “Listen”, my hand is raised right along with yours, especially when it comes to trying out new drinks, especially a martini. Do you martini-sip with your pinky out too?!

I came across a few drink recipes I wanted to share with you. Now, you may not try these at home, but at least now you’ll know what to ask your bartender for!

~Pepperminitis~

https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/christmas/a25415480/peppermintinis-recipe/

~Sugar Cookie Martini~

https://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/christmas/a25362483/sugar-cookie-martinis-recipe/

~Santa Clausmopolitan~

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a57108/santa-clausmopolitans-recipe/

~Caramel Apple Martini~

https://inspiredbycharm.com/caramel-apple-martini/

CHEERS!

~Tamu

P.S. Let me how you feel about the information on this blog. I want these posts to be as helpful to you as possible!

you want me to do WHAT with my Summer clothes?!

Was that a chill in the air?! Or Is it my imagination?

Now is usually the time we start shifting clothes around in our closets to make room for our cold-weather clothes. With a sad face or an entire adult tantrum, we pack away our sandals, open toe heels, tank tops, summer dresses, and anything else that screams Summer.  

But wait. Before you put all Summer clothes and shoes away, wouldn’t it be nice to have staple garments that you can layer with your Summer clothes? 

One easy staple to have is the open cardigan. The open cardigan you can wear all year long: on cool summer nights, those funny Autumn days that start off cool in the morning, summer-like in the afternoon, & then it’s hello-again-cool in the evening. It’s also an easy layering piece for a crisp winter day under a leather coat or jacket. I put together some looks to check out to give you an idea of how you can keep a few summer pieces at the front of your closet and pair with your staple cardigan.

P.S. What did you think of the style quiz?! If you missed it, here’s the link again to become an Iconic Insider to receive the quiz! http://eepurl.com/gB2Luj

Cheers,

Tamu
www.tamuinc.com

Grab A Drink For This Style Session!

How is everything going?!

Hope your Summer (did I mention it’s my favorite season?!) has been smooth sailing.
Here’s a little something to make it smoother..It’s Another Happy Hour Style Session!

Check it out here: Style Session


Let me know what you think! Send any style questions you have to info@tamuinc.com. 
Do you want to be extra social? Let's connect on IG, FB, Tw, & Pinterest !

Thou Shalt Say NO

You know those people that have a hard time saying NO, so they offer a long explanation as to why they aren’t going to do something?  Instead of saying NO, they say “Well I have this to do…” or “Well let me think about it because I may have to do…” or “I really want to but…” You’ve heard it before, maybe you have even said one of those phrases yourself. 

It is okay to say NO. It is okay to say NO to things that don’t advance you. It’s good to Say NO to things that don’t add to your life. It is okay to say less and say NO without explanation and a background story. It is a good thing to have control over how you spend your time. It is a good thing to have control over whom you spend your time with. It is good to have control over what events or causes you attach yourself to.  

We often hear the phrase “protect your space”. Part of protecting your space is protecting your boundaries and part of setting boundaries is saying NO.  

Until our next round table discussion, 

~Live Loud~Work Smart~Play Hard~Travel Plenty~Dance Always~

Tamu. 

Be Absolute-No Chaser Needed

Life attempts to bring us restrictions in one form or another: from people telling us what we are and are not capable of to where we live or work. So, if those restrictions come from outside forces, why should we add to it by limiting ourselves? 

We should not change our visions because of what appears to be a limitation. We should not put ourselves in a box or give ourselves a glass ceiling because of what looks like a roadblock or a rejection. We may have to adjust our paths and/or our tasks, but we should stay true to our visions and aspirations. Keep them large; don’t downsize them. 

Talk about those aspirations as a matter of fact. Be absolute.

Cheers.

I Don't Need A Man

“I’m going to pray that you get a husband.”

How would you respond if someone said this to you?

Here was my response, “No don’t do that.  If you want to say a meaningful prayer for me, pray that my business grows leaps and bounds beyond my imagination.” Then, I walked away quickly. I walked away quickly because I had more to add; some nice additions, some not-so-nice, petty additions.

I started to wonder if the woman was married or had ever been married. Her comment to me meant that she assumed that marriage is something I aspire to. I thought Ms. I’ll Pray You Get a Husband Lady’s unsolicited almost-prayer was a generational “thing.”  I had forgotten about this exchange until recently. I keep getting asked, “Are you married” or “Have you been married” by people of broad age ranges. My next “wonder” is why is this the focus question as if the only, major thing in life is to be married.

If a woman wants to be married, that’s wonderful.  Just like it’s wonderful if she wants to travel the world, or become a speaker, a real estate mogul, an author, or a business owner, or all the above. She should have what she wants and shouldn’t accept anything else. Recently, I was in a group where the question, “What do you want to have accomplished in five years?” was posed to everyone. Do you want to guess what the most common answer was?! “I want to be married with kids.” (If you could see my face!)  On the other side of that, I will say that if marriage is a desire, that does not mean that marriage is the only thing on a life list.

However, marriage does not put the cherry on top of life.  Stay tuned for Part 2.

So, how would you respond if someone said this to you?

Happy Hour Style Session

Hey! How are You? 

Are ready for another style session? Let’s talk stripes!

I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s this saying going around that horizontal stripes make us look bigger, wider….I don’t agree! Here’s why.  Medium-sized horizontal stripes are flattering for those with full, voluptuous hips and for those who do not have full, voluptuous hips. The stripes can accentuate your waistline or even give the illusion of a waistline. 

Who came up with that myth about horizontal stripes then?! Probably the same person who told us not to wear white after Labor Day!!! Bye!

If you are more conservative with your clothes, maybe stripes, or any print, is not something you typically wear, but you want to add something different to your wardrobe. Let’s say you buy that horizontal striped dress you’ve been eyeing. To soften the stripes, you can throw a belt on with it to break the stripes up. If you have a striped top and skirt, pair that outfit with a jacket or cardigan, which will also soften the stripes for you. You can always pair a solid color top with your striped skirt or solid color skirt with your striped top.

Moral of the story, you can wear the stripes!!!

Check out my Youtube video where I show styling examples when wearing stripes.

LET ME SEE!

P.S. Keep your style questions coming! I love them!

Classy & Ratchet: It's Called Balance

It’s April already. As in the middle of April! Hard to believe, right?!

How is life? Are you conquering that work/life balance? There’s that word again: Balance. What does balance mean or look like anyway?

Does having balance mean checking off everything on our to-do lists? Is it going to the gym every day? Is it smiling and saying Hello to everyone we run into every day? Is it being fearless every day? Is it talking to our family and friends every day? It is being productive every day? Is it putting on a full face of makeup on every day? Does having balance mean being prompt for every appointment? Is it getting 8 hours of sleep every day? Is it letting the next driver over into your lane? Is that what balance looks like?

How about considering that balance could look something like this:

 On Monday, eating all your side vegetables and fruit, and then Tuesday having a chocolate extreme blizzard as a side instead. Perhaps balance is spending 45 minutes at the gym one day and the next day putting in 25 minutes. Perhaps balance is sleeping 8 hours on Wednesday, but because of your boss moves on Thursday, you get home late, and only sleep for 6 hours. Maybe balance is not checking off everything on your to-do list. Maybe balance is recognizing that you put too much on your daily to-do list and you turn that daily to do list into a weekly list. Perhaps balance is owning that you don’t feel courageous one day and you don’t beat yourself up about it.  Maybe balance is when you’re going through something difficult: You have friends who encourage you to think and make rational decisions and you have friends who encourage you to be ratchet and offer to be ratchet with you. Balance.

Moral of the story: Balance is what you say it is. Balance is how you define it. Once you’ve defined it for yourself and your life, do not compare your definition of it with anyone else’s.

~Live Loud ~ Play Hard ~ Work Smart ~Travel Plenty ~ Dance Always ~

  

Another Happy Hour Style Session!

Well, it may or may not be happy hour, but I just like saying that! But then again, we can make anytime happy hour, right?!

So, I love getting questions like, “What would I wear with these shoes?” “What can I wear with this jacket..(or this)..shirt..(or this)..dress..(or) these pants?!”  I also love answering them! Putting our clothes together should be easy, right? Sometimes when we shop, we feel as though we have to buy complete outfits. But not always. There are times when we get too busy, out here doing fabulous things, that we don’t have time to shop for something new for every party, event, every vacation, etc.! Sometimes, all we need are a few pieces to mix with what we already have in our closet. It helps if those few pieces are on the trendy side or even something that you wouldn’t normally wear. Let those few pieces be your play pieces, your fun pieces! 

Check out my latest YouTube video to get some ideas! https://youtu.be/xDnoMaCtqoA

Let me know what you think.  

~Live Loud ~Play Hard ~ Work Smart ~ Travel Plenty ~ Dance Always~

Behind The Scenes in Tamu Inc Studios!