For He has not given me the Spirit of Fear: accomplishments

Showing posts with label accomplishments. Show all posts

1.19.2019

ME?Toxic?

When I'm recording my weekly radio show (insert SHAMELESS plug here: It goes by the same name as this blog, Faithandfashion360 Live on WFNKRadio.com, Sundays from 7pm-9pm. Here's the link.), I usually peruse the social media airwaves and timelines for the things people are talking about, the things they may divided on, as well as the things that just need some JESUS. My sites of choice are typically fashion forward, millenial friendly, etc.

I was scrolling down Instagram the other day and I found a post on one of my sites of choice (one that sometimes I'm almost ashamed to say), and I saw a post that had me pleasantly surprised. TheShadeRoom, the place you love to hate, for its constant celeb post and infinite shade, posted a thought provoking question that forced me into a few minutes of self-awareness. It was so much so that here I am, writing to you about it, and eventually asking you to think about as well;

What is a toxic trait that you possess and would like to work on getting rid of in 2019??

Whoa.
1st of all, I felt personally attacked. They asked assuming that I would even have any! *insert fake disgust*

This question spoke to me in a number of ways and there was a wave of emotions and feelings that swept over me as I thought about an answer.

The fact of the matter is, we all have some things that aren't so great about us. We all have traits that have caused an argument. Things about us that people rightfully don't like. Parts of ourselves that, if we're honest, can stand to hit the trash. It was difficult for me to say out loud, but once I got real with myself, I could name a few.

Moment of transparency: I have a spending problem. I mean a forgo-my-car-note kind of problem. It's something I've realized over the years, especially as I've grown my blogging and fashion brand. There were times where I would even make justifications and excuses about why spending money on the latest shoes were necessary.

"My followers need these looks."
"I have a 10 day grace period."
"How can I grow my brand if I don't invest?"

We've gotten very used to justifying our nonsense in this day and age. The world tells us that we are a work in progress, and arms us with resources to halfway fix ourselves for their monetary gain.

We have become so very good at justifying our bad behavior, even our sinful behavior. In reality, we can justify just about anything in our lives to help relieve the pressure of the Holy Spirit bringing things to light for us to deal with them before Him in humility and self-sacrifice.

The problem with this behavior is, we never quite get around to the issue because we've adopted this really nice pair of rose-colored glasses (or shoes) that are blocking us from seeing our wrongdoing, and eventually getting down to the good things we can be. By not acknowledging that there's a problem...it's almost like it isn't happening?

I'll share a secret with you: God loves imperfect people.

That's right I said it. He loves all of your binge-spending, binge-eating, eye-rolling, nay-saying, negative speaking ways. We all make mistakes. We will unfortunately (and fortunately depending on how you see i) continue to do so. But because Jesus died and rose from the grave, every mistake we will make or ever make has been paid in full. Don't allow ego and pride keep you from receiving God's love any longer. Don't allow blinders to keep you from acknowledging your sin and moving forward with God and receive His love and mercy.

I task you today to think about something you could do differently. I then task you to consistently pray and ask God to remove that from every part of yourself. Then, I want you to forgive yourself and do better. Who knows what's on the other side of your awareness? Salvation?Success?

Sounds like a win to me.

Faithfully,

Brieana

Scriptures of Reference

1 Peter 1:13-16

John 3:16
Romans 5:8
Hebrews 10:24-25
Romans 14:10-19

5.31.2018

Faith and Fashion 360 31 May focus

Distractions: When the Only Light Left is God's

DISCLAIMER: I wrote this post in minimal lighting and a lack of electricity.Please excuse any typos in advance. The struggle was real, but needed to be told.

I've been a resident of the Poconos, Pennsylvania for the past 10 years. I was uprooted from my quaint urban city of Paterson New Jersey at the tender age of 16 to be acquainted with bears, deer, and lots and lots of trees. Those trees became quite a problem two weeks ago, when rural Northeast PA was hit with a tornado of sorts that snatched all power and electricity from my home and power outlets for a grueling 4 days. Though at first I started to create a laundry list of things I wouldn't be able to get done, those four days turned into an enlightening experience, and showed me a lot about removing distractions, intentionally or forcibly.

Distractions are EVERYWHERE. Those subtle time wasters can be the difference between 10 minutes and an hour of meme browsing.

We laugh and joke about it, but getting too distracted can really derail our visions, dreams, and the path that God has set out for us. I had a lot of time to think about this while I was unplugged from civilization. Talk about the light through the darkness!

Distraction from God is extremely dangerous. As believers we believe that God is the captain of our ship. When you start losing sight of your captain, you start trying to steer your own ship. Not only does this lead to going the wrong way, but it can lead you in the direction of trials, sin, missed opportunities, and missed blessings.

So what are some things that can distract us from what's REALLY important?

Social Media

It may be more fitting to change this to all media! This is a personal struggle for me. How many times do we find ourselves rolling over at 7am, entranced by how many likes our last post got, our the hottest tea for the day? I'm ashamed to say I've done this so many times that I'm kicking myself around 2pm when my day is going ALL THE WAY to the left and I realize I forgot a little something. The media is so dangerous because it is so easy to get consumed in. Everywhere we turn, some sort of media is right in our face. And the worst part; it’s littered with filth. Almost every commercial on TV, and every advertisement on the Internet is trying to convince us that we are missing something, and they are the ones that can fill the need. Our young girls and women are bombard by the media with how they should look, feel, and act…movies, music, TV shows…they all are horrible influences on us because they can subliminally tell us how to live, what's right and wrong, etc. Unplugging from those influences for a few days gave me such a sense of relief and peace, I was almost hesitant to rejoin the social word and images when the light was shining again.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. -Romans 12:2

Routine

This is a common thing I allow myself to get distracted by all the time. The most important thing is that spending time with God should be in your routine! Far too often do we just squeeze God in when we have down time. Its so easy to get caught up in all the things we have to do, like work, eat, sleep, etc. I often find sleep getting in the way! I mean, if I didn’t spend that extra hour sleeping in, I would have a whole hour with nothing to do but seek God! But what I've learned along the way is that when I allow Him to be at the beginning (and End) of my day, it leaves very little room for error and the disasters that are possible to go wrong.

Being "too busy"

I think this could be another post all on its own, but too many times, we're guilty of using the "'B" word in concerns to our daily lives and how much we can (or can't) get done. Its almost like there's this secret society we all hope to join by proclaiming how busy we are at all times. I, for one, don't think, it's anything to brag about. We are overworked, overstressed, and spiritually undernourished. Our culture promotes “bigger and better” and subtly challenges us to keep up. Whew! Who made these rules anyway? Satan loves to keep us running in circles trying to beat the clock. If he can distract us, he can minimize our usefulness to the Kingdom of God. Satan may be the Prince of Darkness, but he is also the Duke of Distraction. As Christ representers, we have to be careful not to get caught up in the rat race that has become so popular in the 21st century. The Bible actually praise a peaceful and easygoing lifestyle, especially in Mark 6:31

I'll be the first to admit that it can be a struggle not to be distracted. I've jokingly said to people that I'm not sure how I've earned so many degrees because I have a very small attention span. But its in that moment of self awareness that I'm able to focus even more on the things that should keep my attention; God being the first. If we are aware of what, who, and when can keep us from a closer walk with God, we're even closer to being a force of focus.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it.

Faithfully,

Brieana

12.18.2017

Faith and Fashion 360 18 December type a

Preparation, Perseverance, and God's Plan: When Your Plan Doesn't Cut It

Here's a fun fact about me: I am a Type-A person. Type A and Type B personality theory describes two contrasting personality types. In this theory, personalities that are more competitive, highly organized, ambitious, impatient, highly aware of time management and/or aggressive are labeled Type A, while more relaxed personalities are labeled Type B.

Being so hyper organized and detail oriented has always been a blessing for me. It's just the way my brain operates. I can tell you how long it going to take me to get to the gas station and hit the ATM (barring a line), down to the very minute. Running late gives me anxiety. And being on time for things? If you tell me 4pm, I will religiously be there by 3:40pm, trying to find out what I missed. I can't help it. I've always been this way. And its worked for me.

For the most part.

In the past few years, my life has taken a few turns for the better---a thriving blog, modeling gigs and shows left and right, sponsorships, collaborations, international flights, the list goes on. Saying that I was prepared for this elevation in my life would be a lie. I didn't know that I was going to be here.

We all have plans for ourselves. This could be a plan for the day, week, month, or even the next year. We have plans for our fitness, as well as plans for eating right and drinking more water. We have plans on finding our Boaz and finding family, or even a plan to cut off relationships (romantic or platonic) altogether.

Sometimes these plans are written down.
Sometimes they're just in our head, without any concrete bullet points or planners to accompany them.
We all do it. Whether its the Type-A or Type-B way.

One thing I've learned about "planning" as a child of God is that my planning holds the assumption that I'm in control. It holds the assumption that my successful planning puts me as the front runner of accolades or praise for getting it right. Do you remember that saying from Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith of the A-Team? "I love it when a good plan comes together." We automatically feel these overwhelming sense of pride when we painstakingly plan something and it...works out?!

The adrenaline rush of making it happen.
The relief in it being over.
The determination as we play with the thought of doing it again.

On the flip side of that is the fear, anger, and disappointment we feel when things just don't work out.

THAT is where I learned I am just a passenger in the grand scheme of things. A few of my brothers and sisters in the Bible could definitely empathize with these feelings as well.You guys know I'm into annotated versions of Bible stories, so look for the corresponding Bible books and scriptures to follow.

Joseph-Sold by His Brothers into Slavery (Genesis 37)

God really messed up Joseph’s life plan. His brothers threw him into a dry well, then sold him into slavery. The wife of his Egyptian master tried to seduce him. When he refused her advances, she turned him over to the Egyptian cops, who then tossed him in prison. He spent years in prison, waiting to be released. I don’t imagine that Joseph included prison time in his life plan. Finally, after many years of painful waiting, God exalted him to the second in command in all of Egypt.

Abraham and Sarah

God really messed up Abraham and Sarah’s life plan. He allowed Sarah to be infertile and barren for years. He took them out of their homeland, away from their family and friends. Finally, after the couple waited earnestly for many years, God promised them a son. Then God made them wait some more. Finally, their hopes and dreams were realized when their son Isaac was born. Then God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Talk about a wrench in the life plan.

After God rescued Isaac, and all was said and done, God made the following astonishing declaration to Abraham:

“By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22:16–18)

The "monkey wrench" list could go on. These were firm believers in the Lord. People who trusted His will and way at every step. So as I increase my prayer life and my reading I just ask God to give me the spirit of trust. To help me to let go of my need to control variables around me. Because...sometimes you can do all you can in the flesh, and He has a better plan for you in the Spirit.

My prayer today:

Father God, I thank you for the blessings you have bestowed on me thus far. I thank you for your never ending love and adoration for me, that you have loved me so deeply to provide me with all of the things my heart never knew I wanted. I beg your forgiveness for all of the times I tried to snatch the driver's wheel out of your hands, as you rode this unsafe vehicle (my plans) into safer terrain (your plans). I ask that you forgive me when I forget what your word states in Ephesians 3:20

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly

abundantly above all that we

ask or think,

according to the power that works in us,"

I thank you God for being the first and final say in every step of my life. And I thank you for being a better planner than I could ever be.

Faithfully,

Brieana

7.27.2017

Faith and Fashion 360 27 July networking

When Fashion Meets Culture: ASC Fashion Week

A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, wherein fashion designers, brands or "houses" display their latest collections in runway shows to buyers and the media. These events influence trends for the current and upcoming seasons.

But there are some fashion weeks, that not only focus on hot designs and trends for the spring and winter seasons, but also focus on the melting pot that is fashion, showcasing excellence in diversity and production.

ASC Fashion Week focuses on designers from all over the globe, starting as a mere fashion week, but in the process has become a foundation for the development of brands paving the way for many to emerge as mainstream fashion houses, artists, and models. Their shows have garnered an audience of 400+ with up to 20 designers showcasing their collections.What sets ASC Fashion Week apart from your typical fashion extravaganza is their ability in every project to successfully bring together a blend of Fashion, Art and Culture. ASC Productions' collective platform and atmosphere brings together designers and artists from around the World to showcase their talent, skills and expertise. Their production and collective environment creates an explosive energy; collections bursting with colors, creating an atmosphere on the catwalk to remember.

The events held under ASC Productions attract exclusive National and International Designers, Hosts, Red Carpet Hosts, National and International Media and Photographers. Their shows draws creating networking opportunities for attendees to meet with celebrities designers, artists, fashionistas and other people who love the fashion industry.

Stayed tuned for more info on this trailblazer of an event. I'll be covering their events for Spring/Fall 2017. For now, feast your eyes on the designs of 15 designers who graced the runway last year.

Caren K by Kiran Khan

Kas and Lava Luxe

Thunyatorn

Rose Burger

Batax

Ukiyo Designs

Flowture Designs

Anya

Girls In Ballet School

Nanalola Couture

American Umma

Posh Me'Ke

Demode

Enrootz

Juda Charles Designs

Francoise Fashion

ASC Producers:

Amit Singh Chauhan

Kiran Khan

ASC Production Team

Jessica Spencer

Katherin Gisela Laparral

Lisandro Barcelo Kartiar

Marcus Isaac

Own Murtajiz Naqvi

Be sure to visit ASC Fashion Week for updates, registration opportunities, and more awesome designers pics.

Faithfully,

Brieana

4.27.2017

Faith and Fashion 360 27 April working woman

Power Suit

Fashion bucket list item #53526748: A nice, form-fitting, head spinning pants suit.

I realized this year that in addition to my regular vision board with all of my dreams aspirations, and hopes, I also need to add my fashion vision board to that list. I'm going to fill it with all of my wants,. fashion icon inspirations, and outfit to-do's. If I had thought of this a few years ago, an all white suit would have been on this list...FOR SURE.

I had an event the other day. The attire: formal. So in come the last minute mad dash for a nice form-fitting lacy gown (as I do best), and when I came up empty and almost lost hope, my darling mother rushes into the rescue with a pretty risky idea.

"Didn't see you see those suit separates the other day? What if you wore those? How crazy would that be?!"

Now we're talking ball gowns, pressed edges, and the most expensive jewelry. And here I was toying around the idea of wearing a SUIT. But if there's one thing I've learned in my few years in the blogospehere is that fashion is whatever the heck you want it to be. And that night...I wanted it to be an off white suit.

These pieces came from Dress Barn. Another surprise deviation from my normal go-to shop, as Dress Barn always felt a little mature for my tastes. So now I had the task of dressing up a power suit, while not trying to look too mature.

I paired the powerful outfit with this shimmery rose-gold body I scored from Charlotte Russe, as well as this gold chandelier choker.

Top it off with a pop of color on my feet, and I was ready to go head to the ball...in a pants suit. Take THAT dress attire.

Don't forget to subscribe to my blog! Stay tuned for more daring choices and great finds1

Cropped pocket blazer here: Plus|Straight

Pants:Here

Faithfully,
Brieana

4.22.2017

Faith and Fashion 360 22 April trends

Small Business Saturday: NChantment: A Unique Boutique Experience

“What do women want? Shoes.”

“For women, shoes are the most important. Good shoes take you good places.”

“The stiletto is a feminine weapon that men just don't have.”

There's lots of good quotes about women and their most coveted item of clothing; shoes. Let's face it; it's a love story that will go on and on, chapter for chapter. What started as a love story to find the Missus at the ball (Cinderella anyone?) has carried on through the ages in making us feel sexy. powerful, and meaning business.

Enter the beloved shoe store. The gatekeeper of fashions, trends, low prices, and lots of sizes. But my biggest gripe about shoes stores? The long lines, the lackadaisical customer service, and the well-meaning clerks who just don't get me. They don't REALLY know what I want. They don't quite get what I need. And as hard as they try, a busy shopping hour in a shoe store can leave me at the corner of a meaningful shoe purchase and "Ill try again another day"

So I went on a quest to find a store that had all of my needs for a successful shopping:
1. Personalized customer service
2. Styles that every store doesn't carry.
3. An online website (you guys know I love a good online shopping hall)

Nchantment satisfied all three of these needs and then some. With their vision to "empower women financially and personally through their passion and love for fashionable, well-branded shoe and accessory products", NChantment held me down with pieces that don't break the bank. I got to preview some of their selection, and I promise you that you won't be disappointed. Just in time for spring, they promise lots of metallic pinks, rose golds, and much more! I loved it so much...I had to get in on that action! Say hello to resident blogger and virtual style visonaire. I'll be heading back to my roots over at Polyvore, featuring some items soon to come from NChantment. And if there's anything you don't see online, don't fret! It's coming soon!

For now...check out some of these collages and head over to the site. (You might find a coupon there.)

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Link to items: Polyvore

Interested in any of these fab finds right now? Don't fret! Contact Tiffany Viorla-Calder, personal fashion and styling consultant of NChantment.

Faithfully,
Brieana

4.14.2017

Faith and Fashion 360 14 April curvy girl fever

Casual Friday: Coachella Inspired

Happy Friday everyone! And what a good one it is! I'm kicking off this wonderful Easter weekend with my head in 80 degree weather, complete with palm trees and indie music. That's right., I'm in California at Coachella weekend.

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, located in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley, in the Colorado Desert. It was co-founded by Paul Tollett and Rick Van Santen in 1999, and is organized by Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Live. The event features musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures. Across the grounds, several stages continuously host live music.

The Coachella trends are always on point, with the rends never straying too far from simplicity meets statement. White tees, afros, big round sunglasses, and fringe everything dominate the fields of grass in one way or another each year. And although I couldn't be there, I figured I'd live vicariously through my wardrobe, at least for the day.

The star of the show? These embellished clogs I snagged from Burlington Coat Factory. Clogs have been on my fashion bucket list for some time, and when I found these in the shoe racks for $24.99, I had one more hot item checked off. They're super comfy and just the height and comfort I needed for my button front skirt.

Add a white tee and gold jewelry, and I was all set and ready to go for the spring's hottest music festival. And anyone reading that's going to enjoy the Coachella experience...I'm officially jealous.