What to do when the winter winds blow!

Stay INSIDE! I'm thankful for the seasons, I truly am. It's one of the reasons why I won't move out of the tristate area (for now), because I don't believe that other areas of the United States can experience the seasons in their totality. But this weather right here (anything under 40 degrees) is NOT for me!It-is-cold! And not just that kind of cold where you can throw on a cute fur jacket or your ugg boots and be good! It's the type of cold where you really shouldn't leave your house, and if you have to leave, you need to wear leggings under your jeans and multiple sweaters; not cute!My only feasible option on how to deal with this weather is to stay inside, but if you must face the cold winter air, you should have one of two things with you!TEA or COFFEE! Funny thing is, if you would have spoken to Kelsley 2-3 years ago, neither of these two items would be in my personal pantry. I try to avoid caffeine at almost all costs because of the effect I've seen it have on my skin. As far as tea goes, I've always thought that only a particular type of person enjoys tea, because it's always been nasty to me! But as of lately, that's been the only two consistent things in my diet!I may be a little biased when I say this, but Wholesome Pantry's mint tea is by far the best mint tea I've ever had! I find myself drinking two cups a day which is definitely not the norm for this non-tea drinking girl! I can't pinpoint what it is, but it has just the right amount of mint to soothe my mind, body and soul!GIVE ME CAFFEINE! Like a said above,  I really do try to avoid caffeine, but when I need it, I try to stick to the coffee in my house (dunkin and starbucks give me the jitters) and I add a tonnnnnnnn of sugar! Because in my personal opinion, it's not the taste of coffee that keeps people coming back, it's the low key addiction that they're in denial about. Coffee never tasted good to me until now. Peets dark roast coffee is delicious, it's the only coffee that I've been able to drink with no sugar, no milk, no nothing! And the best part of it all, is that it gives me the boost of energy I need without feeling like I'm going to have a heart attack!So if you're currently staring out your window at the frigid winter air then grab a cup of tea or coffee, your choice, kick up your feet and stay cozy inside!

These Winter Winds keep blowing...

Xoxo,

November Fashion revolves around Food

When I think of November I think of beautiful and colorful leaves, scarfs/hats and most importantly...food. The feast that I wait for all year, Thanksgiving! But my next most important thought is finding outfits that will cater to  that feeling that makes you think you are going to explode after picking up your 3rd plate of food!I like to believe that there is always something to be thankful for. No matter what may not be going your way, what issues are on the horizon or realizing that the year is almost over and you only accomplished 2 out of the 23 goals you set! Be thankful! Thankful to be alive and in good health, thankful for the people that love you and even the ones that don't! Thankful, that God has allowed you to see another minute on this earth. Whatever it may be, just be thankful!My promise to myself from this day forward is to always find something to thank God for even if it "seems" like everything is going wrong!One out of the several thousands of things that I'm thankful for this year is this space and the people that constantly help me improve it! I love blogging, I love creating new ideas, outfits, and more! I love staying up late at night with my notebook planning out the next month and what I want to showcase here! It's exciting and has helped me grow in ways I didn't think I needed to. So for today's post I'm going to focus on how thankful I was that this outfit exudes comfort in a casual yet stylish way, because God knows we all like to be cute on Thanksgiving, but it's not cute when you're busting out of your pants! Details down below!I pray that you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

NOVEMBER FASHION REVOLVES AROUND FOOD | Photographed by Elyse Ketura Photography 

  

SHOP THE LOOK

xx,       Rent the Runway Jacket 

Fashion x Food | Brand Collaborations

There are two things in life that one should not live without... one is fashion and the other is food! Read all about my wonderful brand collaboration with these fabulous women!I was approached by my co worker for this brand collaboration, her name is Jess, and she's amazing! Currently she's running a gluten-free blog that has my tubby self craving her gluten-free recipes! She truly goes against the stereotypical belief that gluten-free food can't be good, because from what I've seen and heard about her recipes, gluten-free is the it thing!I have always loved fashion. The creativity, the originality and the way that it can carry a conversation. Similarly, I feel the same way about food. Coming from a Latin family, food is most definitely the center of almost every conversation we have! So why not combine the two! Start a conversation that will last for hours, days, years, it's only right!For this brand collaboration I had the pleasure of meeting two entrepreneurial women, Merica and Sufia! Merica, designer of eco-friendly knitwear that can easily transition from the comfort of your couch to the middle of the dance floor. I love fabric that breathes and makes me feel as if I'm not wearing much! Her knitwear does just that, I could of relaxed in it for hours! Now although my taste buds can't handle much hot sauce, I was so eager to meet Sufia of Silly Chilly Hotsauce! Her go-getter attitude is truly inspiring! I just love me some determined women!WE set out for a beautiful lunch feast in Van Vorst Park! Turned one too many heads and truly just enjoyed each other's company! I'm looking forward to the next time I can meet up with these ladies!Whether is hot sauce, knitwear or a gluten-free recipe you just have to try, check out what these ladies are up to! Special shoutout to Krumville Bake Shop and Another Man's Treasure for being apart of this shoot!Breads & quiches @krumvillebakeshopSauces @sillychillyhotsauceTable cloths & jackets @amtvintageKnitwear @shopniaclothingStyling @shopniaclothingPhotography @umeglutenfreeProp styling @umeglutenfree

Fashion x Food | Photographed by Jess Maiuro

Xx,

Staying healthy with a picky palette

As a girl with a fast metabolism and a picky palette, it's hard for me to get the adequate nutrition that my body needs. After a not so pleasant doctor's visit I decided it was  time to really change my diet and get serious about my health! Here's how I'm staying healthy daily.For as long as I can remember, I've been on the skinnier side, and although many people would see that as a blessing it was a MAJOR insecurity in my life. Wanting to fill out my frame, I started to eat every and anything in college. My diet consisted of double bacon cheeseburgers, Chinese food, quesadillas, chicken cheesesteaks with curly fries and subway! Not healthy in any way, but I was set on that diet because it kept my weight in the areas I wanted it to be.Two years later, my body is kicking me for it, so I'm making this change. But with my picky palette that consists of sweet foods and carbs I really didn't know how I was going to get all the nutrients I needed.My mom stumbled across a kale smoothie recipe that was packed with fruits and vegetables and surprisingly I love it. This recipe has several vitamins and nutrients, from the kale, which is filled with all the good stuff your immune system needs, to the spinach and fruits. I'm able to get a lot of what I need daily while satisfying my tastebuds.Ooh, and on the days where I'm looking to get some extra protein (aka some extra weight to my thighs and butt) I add a spoonful of peanut butter. BEWARE it can make the Smoothie a little heavy so I would suggest eating  it between meals.

Kale, Spinach & Fruit Smoothie:

• 1-1.5 cup of a kale and spinach mix
• 1/2 cup of mixed fruits (mangos, peaches, pineapples and grapes)
• 1 banana
• 2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup of orange juice

This smoothie (without the peanut butter) is very light. I usually have it with my breakfast. I've noticed that I have more energy throughout the day, my food is digesting better and my skin is fairly clear! You can always amend the recipe to your liking but trust me when I say I could drink these things everyday for the rest of my life! Let me know if you try this recipe.Xoxo,