Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me! I just turned 27 (June 13th Woot!! Woot!!) so let's throw it back to my birthday last year!! If you scroll through my posts you'll see some of my looks from 26. But what I didn't share was my main outfit! Shame on me, so let's talk about it!

An all white ensemble is definitely always a statement look to me. However to some it also means.... bride. All day I heard " You look like you're going to get married!" And then there was my mom who called me a vegas runaway bride! How about angel? Why couldn't I just be called a birthday angel or something? Nope a runaway bride! NEVERTHELESS, it was definitely a great look!

Originally my plan was to just have a big brunch or dinner with all my family and friends. I would only have one look so I had to make it count. I ordered so many different dresses and none of them were giving me the vibe that I needed. I started to order so many different things to piece together and create my own look. Then literally 2 weeks before my birthday I found this!  Luckily, as you can see from my  birthday post from last year it turned into a whole weekend celebration and a trip, so all those extra clothes I ordered did not go to waste! I did wind up still doing a brunch with some of my close girlfriends and this outfit was the perfect look for it.

I wanted an outfit that made me the center of attention. I wanted to find a piece that that turned heads and had a little bit of extraness to it. This dress did just that! The sleeves were my favorite part and they gave it the level of extraness that I needed. At first, I was nervous when I ordered it because sometimes if a garment isn't executed properly sleeves like these can either look lifeless or be stiff and uncomfortable. However, they were perfect! Super bouncy and not itchy and scratchy on the skin​.

The white on this dress was so crisp and bright, which is hard to come by sometimes! Hopefully I can keep it that way. If you can't tell by now I love a good crop top and this one showed just enough skin, and the sweetheart neckline added to the angelic feel. When it comes to the skirt the ruching was the perfect added touch! I like ruching because it hides the tummy, and it never fails that when I eat I get a little food baby! So, this skirt was perfect for brunch because I definitely pigged out! When they created this two-piece dress they added all the perfect elements. I felt like this dress was made for me!

This has been one of my favorite birthday looks! Let me be honest though, pretty much all of my birthday outfits are my favorite looks! I just turned 27 so keep your eyes on the blog to see my next upcoming looks!

​-FASHMIRA

Ladies how many times have you gone out and scoped what could be your future prince charming? Only to never get his name, number, or honestly even interact with him? If Princess Jasmine taught us anything she taught us that we should always go for what we want and to take that chance. You never want to be sitting around thinking "If Only..." or "What If..."

I wore this outfit on a night out with my girls, and I felt so pretty!  All night I kept getting comparisons to Princess Jasmine, Selena, and the Coming To America Princess. My hair clearly played a role in that last one lol. All comparisons were huge compliments because all three people served LOOKS, and I can definitely see myself as a blend of all three. Overall it definitely was a good night, and this outfit played a huge role in it. When you look good you feel good!

I'm all for creating a look that is simple and feminine. It is honestly my favorite type of outfit. This outfit is literally jeans, a top, and sandals.... EASY. And yet it has an elevated appeal to it. I love finding tops that have a little pizzazz and are eye catching. So when I saw this top I had to have it. I've always been drawn to tops that have a unique structure to them. It features binding like a corset, puffy sleeves, sheer sexiness, and embroidered material that pops. All of these qualities make it the perfect feminine top.
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I was able to score this top on SHEIN they had a few different styles! Honestly many lingerie style tops or bodysuits will give you this same effect, and SHEIN has a ton of these if you're interested. You just have to make sure the upper area is lined otherwise you'll wind up showing a lot more skin then you intended! My pants are high-waisted jeans I got from the H&M outlet for less then $15.00! They are so flattering and comfy! I love the color of these, they easily pair well with most tops. I definitely have to make another trip to the outlet, so I can try and score more of these jeans!

I recently took a trip to NYC. The city is a frequent travel destination for me, and is dear to my heart for many reasons! I love the hustle and bustle, I love to shop, I love to eat, I have family there, and if you didn't know... that's where I was born. So whenever I go down to the city it's like being at a second home. However, this time it was different. It was the first time that I had gone since the pandemic hit. New York State got hit pretty hard with COVID-19, and NYC particularly was one of the worst hit cities in the world. So during all that madness traveling to NYC was a big NO.

However, for those who live and have to survive in the city, it's different.  When you really look at NYC, the land is pretty small, but it's home to millions of people trying to navigate through life.  Let's take a second and all imagine how NYC was effected by COVID-19. How easily do you think germs are spread in a place where millions of people are squished together in close quarters, with limited social distancing opportunities? Think about a place where public transportation is LIFE, there's not enough disinfectant in the world to destroy those germs on the subway. Think about all the food options, how many restaurants do you think struggled and went out of business when the shutdown happened? New York City is one of the top travel destinations in the world, but who was traveling during a pandemic? When rates began to spike in New York, even those who were brave enough to still travel, they definitely weren't coming there. NYC is supposed to be the city that never sleeps, imagine watching business after business, shutdown and/or close permanently?  Favorite activities were lost, top schools were closed, jobs were lost, normalcy was lost, and the overall New York City vibe was lost.

The pandemic had a major effect on us all, but NYC was definitely hit extremely hard. In order for things to be safe and migrate towards a form of normalcy multiple adaptions had to be made. It's been a year now and things still are no where near the same but they are making strides to get normal.

Despite all the limitations it was still a great trip to NYC! The worst part for me, was everything shutting down at and/or before 11:00pm. I felt so jipped! But that just means you have to make the most of your time while your down there. This is a great time to take advantage of site seeing! They can't cover up a whole monument right? The best part for me was the lack of people. If you've ever been to NYC, you are just surrounded by a million people at all times. With the lack of tourism you can actually walk around and have a safe little bubble around you. You also don't have to wait in long lines. While I loved that, it also was kind of strange.  We went to Times Square and typically it's always a sea of people but it was just so bare when you looked across...

If you've always had a dream of visiting NYC I suggest you wait until things get a little bit more normal. However, if you are a frequent traveler you can definitely still take the trip, just be prepared to make some adaptations.

-FASHMIRA

​1. Travel!
My first goal of the year is to get back into traveling! I had so many trips planned for 2020 but, COVID-19 definitely put a halt to this. When a world wide pandemic strikes traveling for fun just isn't an option. I sat at home for long enough! Now that travel restrictions are letting up, attractions are opening again, and the virus is more under control, I'm getting back out there and seeing more of the world! I already have one trip planned for February. Don't worry...nothing major... I'm not even leaving the state.

​2. Enhance FASHMIRA
Over the past couple of years you've been able to see FASHMIRA  grow and become more than a hobby on Google's Blogger platform. My goal is to continue to enhance FASHMIRA. Blog posts will become much more frequent! I feel like I say this every year but it's happening! This past year I launched a couple of products and by the end of 2021 the goal is to have a whole lot more, so get ready! When it comes to measuring my outcomes I want to increase subscribers, (HOLD ON! are you subscribed? Go ahead and drop you info at the bottom of this post ​don't worry I won't flood your email I swear!) increase overall pageviews, increase my social media presence, and increase sales! I have so many visions for FASHMIRA and the work has begun!
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3. Develop New Skills
The third goal that I want to share with you is my desire to build up my skills. Despite the negatives of the pandemic, one great thing it gave us was time. I want to use my newly gained free time to learn new skills. One big thing I want to tackle is the art of photoshop. I learned how to do minor editing but now I want to dive deeper into it to really master editing. I also want to learn more about video editing so I can potentially begin to bring you all some video content. Lastly, as I dive deeper into the art of event planning I want to learn some new techniques so I can heighten my event planning offerings. These are just a few of the skills I really want to focus in on this year.

​4. Self-Love
Lastly, I end this blog post with my desire to continue to pour into myself. I'm letting go of things that no longer serve me. I'm only allowing peace and growth to flourish within. One of the quotes that I live by is don't worry be happy. Whenever someone asks me how do I see myself in the future or what do I want out of life. My response to them is always "To be happy." We can make all these goals, achieve all of these things, but if we aren't happy then what are we truly doing everything for? My goal is to always chase and strive for genuine happiness.
I decided to take self love one step further and be a little more intentional. This year I will be celebrating my birthday monthly as opposed to just on June 13th. Out of 365 days so many of us only really celebrate ourselves 1 day out of the year. When everyday truly is a gift to us and the others around who get to experience us. So on the 13th of every month it will be my birthday and I will treat myself to something special and make sure overall is a great day where I treat myself like the princess that I am. However, it doesn't just end there, this whole year will be committed towards heightening the love I have for myself. I will surround myself with people who make me happy, put myself in places that make me happy, and treat myself to things that bring me joy.

​These are just a taste of some of my goals for the year. Remember I said you have to have at least 10 to really make it effective! I encourage you all to come up with some goals! I hope mine have helped you envision some of your own goals for the future. I'd love to hear some of your goals in the comments below. I hope you all are able to redefine your purpose. while you navigate throughout the year. Cheers to 2021 my dears!
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-FASHMIRA

When you go to a pumpkin patch you have to put on a great fall look! There's just so many photo moments, so you have to be picture ready! When I think about fall fashion. I instantly see multiple shades of browns and orange. Nice big scarfs or chunky sweaters to keep you warm in the chilly weather! Lastly you definitely need a pair of boots! Preferably riding boots because those are my favorite.  As I prepared my outfit for a day at the pumpkin patch I made sure to encompass all of this!
 
The weather forecasted temperatures in the 60s. Now for me this is cold so I needed to make sure I would be warm while participating in all the outside activities. I refused to wear a coat that hid my look, so layers were definitely needed! A few years ago I scored a black thermal at forever21 that is such great quality and so warm. That was layer one! I then paired it with a tan mid length sweater. A perfect fall color and also a perfect way to keep me warm. After this second layer, I put on an oversized blanket scarf! I love blanket scarfs because they're so warm, versatile, and enhance a look easily! That was my final layer, and voilà there you have it! My completed Pumpkin Patch look.

​I threw on my faithful brown leather coach purse. Which was the perfect size to stash my everyday items and all the extra packages of donuts. On my feet I wore my brown Steve Madden leather riding boots. I've had these for years and they still look amazing! When it comes to shoes I highly recommend Steve Madden because their quality never disappoints. To finish off the look I then went for some simple gold jewelry, hoops and my Alex and Ani bracelets!

It didn't take long for Winter and Christmas to begin to sneak up on us! I mean it technically isn't Winter until December 21st! So, I am trying to hold onto Fall for as long as I can! Only a few more days in the 60s and 50s, here in NY, before the snow flurries and 0 degree weather is upon us! Happy Fall everyone!
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-FASHMIRA