I’m Proud of Myself
I’m proud of myself and I don’t mean that in a way to toot my own horn. Well actually, yeah, I’m tooting my own horn! If you were to ask me three years ago where I would be today, in all honesty in this mental space and this physical space, I did not see this for myself. Reason being is because I was very dependent on someone else. And I thought I couldn’t manage to do this on my own but after being single for about two years now, while handling all of the household bills and expenses, personal care, travel and everything else under the sun completely on my own; I really truly am proud of myself.
Storytime:
I remember having a conversation with my mom about three or four years ago, saying how scared I was to possibly take a leap of faith and do things on my own mainly because that’s not what I saw from myself. I saw myself being married to the love of my life. I saw myself building a legacy. I saw myself having children before the age of 34. I saw myself having two homes in two different states and building a real estate portfolio again with the love of my life. Fast forward to present day; I am 37, not married, no kids, but chasing after a career that I have to say brings me joy. There are days where I think to myself that I have fallen behind because I am not where I saw myself a few years ago. But when I take a deeper look and really see how far I have come, it is a true journey. My mental state is stronger and my well being is in much better health. My financial state is in a healthy position (considering the rise in expenses since 2019). All of which I didn’t necessarily see for myself without a partner.
As we continue into 2024, I’m going in not with a new mindset or a new lease on life but with an open heart and a more refined understanding of who I am. There are still goals I want to accomplish but I’m not putting a timeline on them (well one of them I am). Most of my goals are in God‘s timing not mine but I am taking actionable steps towards manifesting those goals in the best way possible.
According to Antoinette:
2023 was my experimental year in terms of my style. It almost felt like I was trying to reinvent who I was through fashion. When I look back at those outfits, I don’t see me. I don’t see the introvert who uses fashion as an extension of her voice that loves finding ways to maximize her wardrobe. So, I promised myself that I will stay in my own lane when it comes to fashion.
I didn’t grow with a silver spoon, instead my sister and I had a somewhat hard upbringing. We weren’t able to go shopping all the time so I had to find ways to create outfits out of hand me downs from other family members and clothing I already had. By exploring, at a young age, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of endless affordable outfit options from my own closet.
I love mixing prints that don’t go together as well as wearing oversized tailored pieces. Add a heel or a cool sneaker while mixing modest fashion items along with edgy designs. For a touch of elevation, opt for a few statement articles or stackable subtle jewelry. Getting back to me never felt so damn good. The look above speaks to who I am, where I’m going and how I want to show up.
When it comes to mixing prints, I always suggest finding a common denominator to tie all the elements together. Here I’m wearing a mesh predominantly red floral top with a black and white polka dot skirt. In all the elements there is a touch of dark hues that pulls it all together. Have fun with your outfits. The key is to stay within your style wheelhouse but with strategic positioning.