Blogger 2.0

So I was trying to link an old blog site to this one and I can’t seem to find it.  I did delete it previously, but you know what they say about the internet… Nothing really goes away.  Anyway, I’m going to start posting the old blogs again on this site.  I may not have all of the pictures, but at least the links are still there.  Here’s the first one:

I never pay full price for clothes…ever.  Many people think this means buying knock-offs or lesser quality brands.  Not so.  It just means shopping smart.  When you crunch the numbers, you’ll actually find that you spend more on buying and replacing low quality “cheap” pieces that lose their shape or change texture after one or two washes.  So how do we shop smart?  This too requires crunching numbers and planning.  Planning requires knowing your body type.  Know your shape and what style types best fit.  Once this is done, you can streamline your shopping experience to only look for items that will accentuate your features.

Warning:  This next step requires thinking skills. Now that we can focus on what designs work best for our shape, we can apply all of our energy toward organizing our shopping experience around finding great deals.  This isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Retail stores always have sales at the end of the season.  Always.  Unless you are being paid to show up wearing the season’s new releases (newsflash: this would require that you obtain them before they hit stores), it is absolutely unnecessary for you to buy them at full price once they’re available for mass consumption.  While this may take a bit of brain rewiring, it is entirely doable.  If you can’t yet window shop without making a purchase, get in the habit of only shopping at the end of the season.  Subscribe to email lists at your favorite stores who will not only inform you of the current styles, they will also send you coupons and special sale notifications specifically created for their loyal customers.

This outfit (sans the jewelry:  We’ll discuss that in another blog.) came from J. Crew.  The top is pure silk with a polyester lining.  The skirt is a silk/wool blend.  I bought it during a sale that deducted an additional percentage off their already reduced prices.  This is where emails become important.  Because of the type of store J. Crew is, you will never see “additional percentage off” signs in the store.  But they will send you an email.  I paid around $50 for the entire outfit, including the belt cinching the waist.  You could easily spend that much at a store on lower quality items that you will have to replace after they’ve lost their shape in the wash.  Be mindful of money wasting practices.  Banana Republic will also send emails and will even choose single days where they will give an additional significant markdown—sometimes only during a specific time frame on a specific day.  These sales aren’t advertised in the store.  Get on the email list!

Shopping at places like Target and JC Penny shouldn’t be completely ruled out.  Both stores have begun to make changes and often partner with higher end designers to provide great quality items at lower prices.  I picked up this Neiman Marcus designer dress on sale at Target where I used my Target REDcard® debit card that automatically deducts an additional 5% just for using the card.  Currently, these designers are only featured for limited times.  Quantities are also limited, stressing the importance of emails. Target has been known to sell out of items as soon as the store opens on the very first day of the sale.  The velour blazer came from NY&CO where, because I’m on the list, I was able to purchase it with a discount code that was delivered via email.  You do have to be careful with these types of stores.  I’ve often noticed items that are originally quite overpriced for the type of quality just to lead you to believe you are getting a good deal.  Again, know your body type & style and what works for you.  Once I get “burned” at a store where I feel I’ve wasted money, I never buy that type of item there again.  I will never buy cotton tees from a certain store, no matter how low they mark the price, simply because holes appeared in the weave of the fabric after the first time I washed it.

Minority Report

There is a Darryl Coley song that starts:  What’s in a name?  Does it really matter?  What’s in a name?  Who really cares?  While I know that this is a Gospel song therefore talking about Jesus, I’ve wondered how this translates in the secular sense in America.  Though there has been a long history of people changing their first names on resumes from ethnic sounding names to “white” sounding names and getting more hits, what about last names? 

Since living in Houston for a little over a year now, I’ve had many up close and personal experiences with people of Hispanic and Latin decent—from the Spanish speaking service workers at various restaurants to the English speakers with thick accents in government positions and Corporate America.  It wasn’t until I met one of my current co-workers with the last name Gonzalezz (yes, it has two “z”s) that I realized the difficulty of the Latin and Mexican American struggle here in the US. 

My co-worker comes in early every day and leaves later than everyone else but is still unsure of himself.  I remember having a team meeting once where he had a panic attack.  He doesn’t usually talk much in the team meetings and I wondered after his attack if he might have been overwhelmed with not understanding the subject matter.   Sometimes while writing emails and such, he asks me to proofread them to make sure they sound correct.  It takes him forever to write them too.

I wonder if this struggle is akin to the African American struggle just after Emancipation.  While there are no lynch threats and they’ve never been counted at 3/5 a person, Enrique has an eagerness to learn.  I find it frustrating sometimes when I have to explain simple things to him.  After all, he moved here when he was 10.  Sometimes, I wonder why he didn’t do better in school.  Then I am reminded of the current state of the American school system and how students are often passed up for good behavior and are not necessarily taught.

I also wonder what can help.  Before moving to Texas, I believed part of the media stereotype that Mexicans don’t want to participate in American culture.  I thought they were just here to make money to send back to Mexico and have lots of babies.  Since moving to Texas, I realize this isn’t completely true.  They want the American dream as well and, like Blacks, face barriers to entry.  During President Obama’s second administration, I changed my voting classification from Independent as it had been since I registered at 18, to Democrat and I plan to vote Democrat in the upcoming election.  I am anxious to see how both Democratic candidates will vie for the minority vote.  While Hillary Clinton has absolutely done the work to be our next Commander-In-Chief, neither candidate has announced their plans for America’s minorities…

Are you listening?