Live Lavish Access

I was able to attend the screening of "Love in the Trenches" from the Love Beyond Walls organinzation. I first heard about this group on instagram, they were posting about collecting bottles of water for the homeless. I followed them immediately and the level of commitment from the founder, Terence Lesster, is absolutely amazing. The thing that won me over  was the closet strike... This was a project that LBW used to raise awareness for children who struggle with poverty and who often do not have sufficent clothing, for 90 days Terence wore the same "uniform" consisting of khaki pants, a white polo shirt, and a pair of shoes. The dedication is REAL. Terence Lesster has started a movement here in Atlanta with Love Beyond Walls and the people will be greatly effected. What he is doing could change the face of poverty in Atlanta and it proves that change starts with ONE individual making a decision to change. The screening of "Love in the Trenches" was a cl

This past Sunday I attended another edition of Arden's Closet Sip and Swap. Nikki Lee and Nedra Phillips are the founders of this event and they have out done themselves. Each swap is more then the last and this one definitely took the CAKE!! It was held inside of LiviRae's Lingerie store, setting of Lifetime's Double Divas Reality Show, in Kennesaw.  1. Cake cake cake cake cake cake!!!!! The desserts featured this time around were absolutely scrumptious. Homemade chocolate and vanilla twinkies are enough to get me out the house. The spread is always tasty, but these twinkies took the CAKE!! 2. Good Vibes The ladies in attendance were all very personable and fun. It's wonderful when a group of women can get together and have a good time talking and laughing. The overall tone of the event showed that everyone was there to have a good time. Walking in I felt a little run down from my crazy week, but by the time I left I was full of energy and ready to keep going.  3. And

With all the ice water challenges flooding our feeds, the disease awareness movement is pretty much flooded!!! But wait there has been one other movement making waves on social media and that is #BoldLipsForSickleCell!!!! Even celebrities, like T-Boz from TLC, have taken notice to this quickly spreading awareness campaign. So we caught up on the founder, Shamonica Wiggins, to get the details of what's really going on with #BoldLipsForSickleCell..... How are you connected to sickle cell disease? I'm connected to Sickle Cell because I battle it everyday. Even as a small child I had to deal with complications from this illness. How has sickle cell disease affected your life? Sickle Cell has affected my life in MANY ways but the things that stick out the most are that I have to constantly plan around my illness. I can't just hop up and do things, I always have to consider the best interest of my health, and that is directly because of Sickle Cell. Where did the idea for #BoldL

September is Sickle Cell Awareness month. To help spread the word you can participate in the #boldlipsforsicklecell challenge. Post a photo of you in your boldest lip color to help show support. Make sure you tag @lavish_access and @atlantascar.  In one week, on September 13, 2014, SCAR (Sickle Cell Awareness Ride) will hold it's 3rd Annual Ride across Atlanta, Ga. We will have over 20 Motorcycle Cubs joining us this year and we are pumped!! This is the most participation we have had, since we began. The ride will end at Metro Fun Center where we will offer free Sickle Cell screening, bowling, music, food and fun!!  SCAR Sickle Cell Awareness Ride 12-4 METRO FUN CENTER  1959 Metropolitan Parkway SW, Atlanta, GA 30315 If you have a motorcycle and want to ride with us or just need more info visit... www.atlantascar.com                                                            FAST FACTS 1. Sickle cell disease is caused by abnormal hemoglobin in the red blood cells. Hemoglobin is a p

I attended the Plus Positive Summit this past weekend in Atlanta, Ga and I had a good time. The summit focused on how to be empowered when it comes to business and also how to make sure what is being seen of you by the public is positive and well put together. This was the first year Plus Positive has done a summit and I attended all but one event. I look forward to seeing what they come up with next year.   Here are my top 3 take away moments from the event: 3.  Make up!!! Make Me Over - Personal Makeup Application This workshop was taught by Stacey Compton-Maga of Creativ Chameleon. I love make up and anything to do with it and I trust only a few makeup artists with my face. I came into this workshop skeptical because I think I know everything about makeup. ;)  I was pleasantly surprised by  much I learned from Ms. Compton-Maga. She was professional and informative. My biggest take away was about learning my skin tone and how it could change with the season and also how to mana

Francie Maupin has been sketching fashions since her preteen years so it was only a matter of time before she put together a line of her own. She introduces The Diva Kurves Collection by premiering, Swim Thick, a line of swimsuits geared toward curvy women. In a market where the bar for plus sized swimwear has been dramatically raised by Monif C, Nakki Muli, and Cacique, Swim Thick is pushing its way into the mix to make sure all the curvy ladies are covered, literally. Swim Thick will cover standard sizes but will also offer options for ladies with bottom heavy proportions so that they will be able to find swimsuits that fit their curves just right. The extra focus on the ladies with extra curves definitely sets Swim Thick apart from other plus size swimwear. We dig in deeper about Miss Maupin and the release of Swim Thick: How did you start? What triggered you to start a swim line? It seemed like every time I would enter a store or boutique and ask, "where are the plus

So Tuesday night was the "A Sultry Night in Harlem" Concert ft. Eric Roberson. Vin Keatin opened the night with a sexy serenade called Chocolate Kisses. He literally serenaded FFFWEEK FACE Bre Woodley. Keatin's voice makes you want to turn the lights down and get close to your man. The fact that he is super sexy himself didn't hurt either. Next was Jamal St, John, a spoken word artist. He is a self proclaimed chubby chaser and the pieces he performed last night explained why. "On the 7th day God rested because on the 8th day he created thickness and it's been good ever since"  His poetry was clever and it connected to the audience.  And then there was Eric Roberson..... And everything in the world seemed to be really good. Eric's spirit on stage is intensely comforting. He makes you feel as if your with  a group of friends and your in the middle of an awesome jam session. Unfortunately his time was limited, but he made the sweetest lemonade anyone co

1. Turn up!!!! It's time to turn up ladies!!!! Only one day left till FFFWEEK. Whatever you haven't done, don't worry about. It's time to focus on enjoying the upcoming week.  See you there ladies!!!

2. Taxi! Do you know where you are going? Have you been to New York before? If not public transportation and getting around can be terrifying. I've got a few tip as and tricks to help you get around. Whether you are looking for a taxi, bus, or subway you will need to have some idea of where you are actually going.  a. Uber, despite recent scandal, is my FAVORITE choice for being picked up. They offer regular taxis, black cars, and SUVs. They even have promos that can get you $20 off your first ride. Uber works through an app on your phone. The app allows you to arrange a pick up and it gives you an estimate on how much the ride will cost. It connects to your debit/credit card or paypal account so that you don't have to worry about carrying cash or taking your stuff out your purse. Uber has always had a fast response time for me and you get the name and a photo of your driver before they get to you.  b. HopStop. This app is genius. It's gps for the public transit system in N

3. Time to pack. Ok ladies with only three days left is time to pull out those suitcases!!! Pack smart and as light as possible. Airlines are charging for checking in bags now so you don't want to bring anything that isn't absolutely necessary. a. Count the days. Count the days that you will be in New York and the events you will be attending. Lay out your outfits for each day and event. Remember that some of the events are in the evening so for those days you will need two outfits. Try to match your shoes and outer garments to more than one outfit. This will help with over packing. b. Pack in sections. When your packing your bags group like clothing together. This will make it easier to find things when you need them. Another way is to roll entire outfits into each other. Including the undergarments you plan on wearing with them. This way is great to because you know once you pick up that sey of clothing you'll have everything you need. c. Travel size. Don't forget

4. Shoes. First I will start off by saying that my excitement is almost unbearable right now. With only 4 days left to FFFWEEK the mad dash to get everything together is on overdrive. Ok, back to shoes, choosing the right pair can make or break your outfit. A bad choice can also break your poor feet. Unless you are paying for curb to curb car service be prepared to walk, a lot. There are a ton of  flat styles that are trendy and comfortable for the summer.  a. As far as I am concerned flats are the only option.  With all that walking and movement I'm going with total comfort here. Flats can be very fashionable especially this season. I love the gladiator sandals that have been popping up this year.  b. A simple but glam black flat is a staple for every woman's wardrobe. They are easily matched, stylish, and comfortable. I always keep a pair or two of black flats in my lineup. I love the ones with gold or silver accents. And Ilove the pointed toe styles.  c. Lastly you want to h

5. Tresses Finding the perfect hairstyle is a must. It has to be current and it has to compliment your outfits. Whether you are natural, relaxed, braided, or weaved up, now is the time to make the final selection on your tresses for FFFWEEK.   a. My personal favorite are weaved hairstyles. It takes all the burden of your own hair to perform. I don't know about you but my hair often does it's own thing regardless of my direction. When you have a quality weave installed you have lots of options for big glamorous hair. It also allows you to work with colors that you wouldn't normal use in your own hair due to damage.  b. It is a great feeling of freedom that comes with wearing your natural hair. When I was fully natural I went from rocking a fade to twist outs. My favorite products were from Miss Jessie's and I would always rack up during their yearly BOGO sale. If you choose this route make sure you keep your hair moisturized. There isn't anyhthing worse then a dry fr

6. Exfoliate Ladies, you have six days left to make sure your skin is picture ready. That means your face, hands, arms, and legs. The sexy chicas will also want to make sure their torsos are ready as well. ;) Exfoliating should be done on a regular basis, and definitely before FFFWEEK. 6 days is enough time to get that moisturized glow back into your skin. a. Professional treatment. Pamper yourself by going to a spa. Spa's offer body scrub services. Using a spa service is awesome because once you get that done you can just maintain your skin going forward. Jeju Spa in Norcross, Ga, offers this service for $100. The reviews for Jeju are very high. This spa is open 24/7 and they offer a yearly membership.   d. DIY. It's easy to exfoliate your body on your own. Here is what you need: A body brush. Body scrub. Exfoliating gloves. Body oil Body lotion Before you get in the shower, while you are still dry, brush your body using the body brush. You want to lift your dead dry skin so t

7. Eric Roberson Ladies ladies ladies........ If you aren't familiar with the soulful sounds of this man you are at a disadvantage. I can't lie though, when I first found out he would be performing I had no clue who he was and I hadn't heard one song. I started listening to all of his music new and old and I just couldn't believe that I hadn't heard any of it before. My favorite song as of now is  "Softest Lips ," this one is so smooth and sexy. A grown and sensual "panty wetter." Yes. I'm going to cross my fingers that he performs this song. ;) He has collaborations with just about any influential soul or r&b singer you can name. Jill Scott, Marsha Ambrosia, and Raheem DeVaughn are just a couple on the list. He has shows and performances on a regular basis. I'm so excited that FFFWEEK was able to grab him to perform for us!! I plan on enjoying this concert, one thing I've noticed about what it takes to enjoy a concert is

The Right White Have you been able to pull your white outfit together for the "Curves at Sea" All  White Dinner/Dance Cruise. I hope so, if you haven't you are playing it a bit too close for me. BUT!! I'll help you out anyway. The All White Cruise is arguably the most anticipated event of FFFWEEK. There is something about seeing everyone in there crisp clean white outfits that is just mezmorizing. It's the first ticket to sell out every year.  a. Go the Custom Route. If you have never had a dress made to fit YOUR body you are at a definite disadvantage. Especially when it comes to white clothing. The color itself just isn't very forgiving. So the time and skill that is put into a custom white outfit is WELL  WORTH IT. This year you may have missed most deadlines to start a full custom piece, but you still have time to have your outfit altered. Alterations can be done at most dry cleaners. Hemming a skirt or taking in a pair of pants at the waist could be just