How To 'Fall' In Love With Your Fall Wardrobe!

We gave the Summer some love and now it's Fall's turn!

Cool crisp air, pumpkin spice, apple cinnamon candles, Fall time changes, FOOTBALL AND soo much more to look forward to during this time of the year! We have endured the heat, summer vacation, back to school, AND numerous summer birthdays in my family. Fall arrives like the soft breeze that we never knew we needed. Fall also gives us all something very exciting to look forward to and that is Fall Fashion! Every year for fashion week, I follow Brooklyn based style icon and fashion influencer, Sai de Silva, watching her recount her experiences going to each show. She captures NYFW, Milan and Paris! Looking back at 2023 New York Fashion Week, I had my eye on things that would work as staple pieces in my closet. Here are 10 key pieces that every working woman should have in her wardrobe! They are all meant to be worn interchangeably and can all be dressed up or down. Since I moved to Nashville 2 years ago, some of these pieces were left in storage or got lost in translation and recently had to be replaced. So, without further ado, let's get into it!

1. A Blazer

A blazer can literally be worn with anything. I pair mine with jeans, slacks, joggers, shorts, skirts or a longer top with no bottoms at all. I have a black blazer and a deep pumpkin orange one that I wear in the Fall. I love a good blazer because it does a lot to complete a look! Their are oversized ones and ones that hug the shoulders just right. Blazers also transition well between seasons. They go from Fall to Winter with ease!

2. White Button Down Shirt

Again, a white button down shirt can complete any look. I like wearing mine with a pair of jeans or with a big oversized belt. A classic white button down works well with any color blazer too! I have a white, A-line button down that comes with an oversized red and white belt. I have only worn it once and that was to my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party. It was a hit for sure! Sexy and classy at the same time.

3. A Pair of Button-fly Boyfriend Jeans

Tis' the season for boyfriend jeans! They made their entrance several years ago and have been dressing women's curves ever since. I love a good pair of jeans. Boyfriend jeans are roomy, breathable and look good on every woman. I have hips and thighs and I was able to find a good pair at clothing store Maurice's last summer. They fit well but I have not worn them out yet. I guess I was waiting for a good dinner date to pull them out. They are also my first pair of button-fly jeans. They have the perfect amount of distressing and stretch. I like to wear mine with a good blazer, oversized white button up or hoodie, which is what I will be highlighting next!

4. Oversized Hoodie

I feel like it's so hard to find a really good oversized hoodie. I am a Brand Ambassador for a company called, Seek Jesus Co. Thank God for my discount because their hoodies can get pricey. They have a really good message and cause though! I have found that stores like Old Navy and The Gap have hoodies that are just as comfortable. A pair of boyfriend jeans and an oversized hoodie with some sneakers would make the perfect Fall outfit for a lunch date!

5. A Classic Jean Jacket

I found a good oversized jean jacket from Levis a few years ago. It is so cute. The BEST quality! I took it to my seamstress back in Virginia and she added studs to the pockets, along with letters on the back that spelled out P-E-A-C-E-M-A-K-E-R! It is currently in storage but it is practically vintage by now. A classic oversized jean jacket goes well with Everything in this post.

6. Vintage Leather Jacket

I have always been able to find dope leather jackets at thrift stores! The Goodwill specializes in old vintage leather. I bought a long, tan leather jacket there. I also have a rust colored one, as well as a black one that was also thrifted. Leather jackets have a way of  pulling a look together. 

7. Breathable Good Quality Flannel Shirt 

Again, I go to Old Navy or The Gap for my flannel shirts. Most recently, I found like 3 in one day at TJ Maxx. Really cute looks. A flannel shirt can be worn interchangeably with all of these Fall finds.

8. Leather High Waisted Skirt

I found THE cutest black faux leather high waisted skirt at TJ MAXX a few weeks ago. I have already worn it to church twice. I wore it with some black leather booties and a button down shirt. I am currently looking for some thigh high boots to wear with all of these items in this post. 

9. A Nude and/or Black Bodysuit

I LOVE a good bodysuit! They are slimming, sexy and necessary for every woman. I have 2 and I savor them both. They are affordable and go great with jeans, skirts and shorts. They just always pull a look together no matter what you are wearing on top of them. They also have a great way of shaping up the mid-section!

10. A Pair of Black or Brown Boots

Last but not least is a good pair of boots. I have a pair of black booties that have lasted for forever. I wear them to work, church, dinner and just about everywhere where I am walking a lot. Make sure they fit and are comfortable. Boots never go out of style. I even have had my eye on a sexy pair of thigh high boots as well! I am not telling you to break the bank but do make sure they are sturdy and can carry you from the Fall season into Winter.

Why Investing In Yourself Is The Best Thing You Could Ever Do!

'Believing and Investing in yourself is the best way to shift your thinking from a paradigm of excuses to one of solutions!'

If there is one thing I will bet on, it's myself!

Just being really transparent for a sec, but you can make great strides in your life when you are honest and real about things you need to change in order to go higher. As a result of being honest and real with myself, I have been rewarded with the gift of writing in my life. I absolutely love to write! It is more than a hobby. Storytelling is my calling! It's what I am good at and it's what I am most passionate about. I will write for free and if I never made a single dollar from it, my love for it will never change! THIS is where I want YOU to be in your life! Totally free to create and be YOUR biggest friend, cheerleader, asset and Brand Ambassador!

Just a few tips on how I got to this level in life, I made lots and lots of mistakes. Steve Harvey once said,

'You don't win by winning all of the time, you win by losing! The more you lose, the more you succeed.' 

The more you lose, the better problem solver you become. Massive success lies in solving problems. In order to keep losing, you have to keep practicing. Practice really does make perfect!

Tap into your individuality! NO one is You and that is Your Superpower! Your individual DNA is not shared by anyone on this planet. YOU are an original my love. 

Be willing to get uncomfortable to discover your gift! God has given everyone a gift! It is your job to figure out what that gift is and the clues lie within your journey in life!

Hold yourself Accountable and if you cannot, get around someone who can! Get and stay around individuals who are telling you the truth. I have family who I can trust to tell me when I'm falling off track. It is not always easy to hear the truth but it really will set you free. Connect with individuals who will love you enough to say what you need to hear and not what you want to hear!

'If your dreams don't scare you, they are too small.' 

40 Things I Learned In My 40th Year!

40. I said it once but I'll say it again...TRAVEL!

39. Choose your friends wisely!

38. Choose your partner wisely.

37. Take risks!

36. Life is short! Appreciate it.

35. Find a type of exercise regimen that you enjoy and do it daily. Eat clean and drink your water! Health really is Wealth! I just started doing the Tracey Anderson Method and I love it!

34. Have compassion!

33. Show empathy because you never know when you will need some shown to you.

32. Playing Christmas music all year round is one of my favorite things to do.

31. Trust your gut guys. Your intuition never lies.

30. Let God fight your battles! He WILL make your enemies your footstool!

29. It's ok to still be single with no kids at 40. Take care of yourself in this season and watch how God blesses you girl!

28. Build others up! Never talk down to people.

27. Be Real with yourself and others.

26. Your YESSES and your NO'S will ultimately teach others how to treat you!

25. Let GO and Let GOD! cues the music, 'Let IT Go,' by Elsa!

24. Most people deserve a second chance.

23. Every struggle you endure in life will lead to your Evolution. Embrace it and see what God does for you!!

22. Make space to go to your high school reunion. Making memories with old friends keeps you humble.

21. Don't be afraid of the kitchen. Learn how to COOK! And often. This is for men AND women.

20. Learn how to accept a compliment.

19. TRAVEL!!!

18. A good relationship takes work but is worth fighting for.

17. Learn to let go of what no longer serves you!

16. 40 is much, much younger than I once thought it was.

15. Peanut Butter and chocolate is the perfect duo.

14. Forgive! Forgiveness is for you not the other person. Forgiveness leads to massive success and eternal life!

13. Learn to love yourself. What you do not like, change it! Do the work on yourself to become the best version of yourself. When you do the work, you get blessed!!!

12. BE Humble.

11. I would rather have JOY than happiness because happiness doesn't always last. But joy comes in the morning AND Its only something that God can give. No one can take it away.

10. Talk less, listen more.

09.  Speak to your peers with love. ALWAYS!

08. Storms don't last forever. Just like the rain, sleet and snow; there is an end to them.

07. There is no such thing as being perfect. Embrace your flaws; that's what makes you beautiful.

06. Trust your gut and stay true to yourself.

05. YOU are stronger than you think! Take a leap of Faith towards something that scares you! You would be surprised at the outcome.

04. In order to be happy and healthy in your relationship, you have to first be happy with yourself.

03. Tell the truth! ALWAYS! It will set you free. John 8:31-32

02. Change is the only constant in life. Learn to embrace it!

01. Show and Apply Grace like sunscreen! We are all living daily, trying to get better and grow. Everyone is moving at different paces in this life. Let's continue to show love, grace and mercy like Jesus does for us!

BONUS: I turned 41 today and I wanted to say to you: Work hard in life. When I was told that EVERY level in life requires work, my game totally changed. A good work ethic in life affords you confidence to keep moving forward. Let's GO!

Once You Are Free, You're Free To Share!

10 Life Truths That Will Set YOU Free!

1. Stop being a Perfectionist.

2. Understand that you will make mistakes.

3. ACTION always precedes FREEDOM.

4. You can do much more that you think.

5. Stop being so hard on yourself.

6. Be aware of your prejudices and biases.

7. Stop compromising your values.

8. Know the difference between fear and stress.

9. Control what you can control. Leave the rest up to God.

10. Know how to handle YOUR truth.

The Squeakiest Wheel Gets The Oil! Tips On How To Level Up In Life!

At the beginning of the pandemic in January 2020, the world was introduced to the coronavirus and thought it would just be a series of colds and flus. Its 2022 and it is still here. To date, I have had both a series of 5 booster shots and an actual case of the virus in January of 2021. That diagnosis was both shocking and life saving all in one. After surviving corona in January in 2021, I made some life altering decisions. I decided to take better care of my health i.e. body. I have always been pretty fit but I have slacked on working my body out just for lack of motivation. Now, I go to the dr. on a regular basis. I try to get a workout in everyday for at least 30 minutes.  I go to the dentist, hairdresser, gynecologist and primary care dr. around the clock. I am a good steward of all that God has blessed me with. I was given a second chance to live and so many others did not. I had my 40th birthday on August 2021 and I am happy to say that my life is totally different just holding myself accountable for everything I can control in my life. As my precious mother has always told me, YOU do what you can and let God do the rest. Let me give you a deeper look into what changes I have made to revamp my life. The time has come to LEVEL UP!

The Black Lives Movement was resurrected in May of 2020, only 5 months after COVID 19 was brought to America. Around this time, there was a lot of fear spreading around the world. The Black Lives Movement began because of the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. My father has always had an interesting way of motivating myself and my brothers and sisters. He has always said amongst many other things, 'Knetris, the squeakiest wheel gets the oil!' Now that I am older I know what this means and practice it as much as I can. My father was trying to tell me that you must be relentless in pursuing the things you want out of life. Closed mouths do not get fed. You have to speak up and OUT in order to get what you want in life. I remember trying to land jobs in the past and my father would say, '...the squeakiest wheel get the oil.' He meant to be persistent and relentless in reaching out to contacts I knew in order to get the position. He always gives the best advice! YOU too can be the squeakiest wheel. Practice perseverance and over time, you will begin to attract the things you want in life over and over again.

What It’s Really Like Being A Twin!

Shared the same womb✅ Knetris was born at 11:56PM

Julius was born at 11:58 PM

Share the same birthday✅ Aug. 14, 1981

Share the same taste in food✅ Spaghetti Bolognese

Share the same fave musical band✅ Hall and Oates

Share the same dislike in ‘Trends’✅ Crocs are a no-no

People, let me tell you bout’ my best friend! My twin brother, Julius and I have so much in common. Whenever I think about him, I get all warm and fuzzy inside and it makes me smile with joy! Julius is an amazing brother, father, husband, friend and confidante. He is also an excellent motivator, cook and comedian! When we were growing up in rural Virginia, we would play school. I was the teacher and he was the student. We laughed so hard and had an absolute blast. We shared the same classes in grade school until we reached high school. We even shared the same friends! We were both very athletic and studious in school. We both shared roles in high school. He was the class president two years in a row and I was the secretary! Julius was always a bit more reserved than I was as kids. I ended up staying in Virginia for college and Julius landed a scholarship to The University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana! He would be playing college football on a full scholarship. 

Julius was and still is an INCREDIBLE athlete! So much so that he is a co-owner of a youth training and conditioning facility in South Florida called, 'Ballers.' Both of us ran track but I used to watch him run the hurdles in awe. It was something that only God could give him the talent to do. We both love sports and being active. We both love children. Julius has two boys of his own who are a lot like him. We both love Italian food. Julius’ wife is Italian and Brazilian. Her name is Kelly! She is an excellent cook. I think Julius and I have both used music to get through life up until this point in our lives. We will be 41 in August. Our favorite groups are Hall and Oates and FLO-Rida! We love their music. 

Having a twin brother is such a blessing! I absolutely adore Julius and I am SO excited for what the future holds for both of us. It is like having a built in best friend. I love and adore my twin!

FUNEmployment! How I Spent My Time Looking For Employment!

FUN Fact: In the United States, under the Biden Administration; 337,000 jobs have been added to the economy and the unemployment rate is at a low of 3.6% in June 2022 despite fears of a recession.

FUNEmployment: pronounced  [fun•em•ploi•ment]

I am pretty sure that if you asked anyone that's been in the market for a job, they would say that looking was NOT a fun experience. Going from job to job is extremely stressful. I have had to find jobs multiple times throughout my education career. I took a sabbatical from teaching from 2016-2021. I had several different jobs during that time period. I did not plan on going back into the classroom. Then an awesome opportunity presented itself and  I am back in the classroom again. In order to find a job teaching writing to 5th graders, it took a lot of perseverance and patience. One of my good friend's said, '...looking for a job is a full time job.' The way I have looked for employment and the approach I took with me day after day became very significant to my current success! Here are some tips and tricks I will share with you on how unemployment became, 'FUNEmployment!'

*Look at your time looking for work as an opportunity to grow. During my times away from work, I went to the library everyday to read and better my computer skills. I purchased an Audible subscription and really took advantage of that time while waiting for another job opportunity to open up for me. 

*Look at your sabbatical as an opportunity to get better at your craft. Study, Write and Read everything you can get your hands on to better prepare you for what's coming down the pipeline. You will need it for your next assignment!

*Look at your time looking for work as a period to get focused.

*Look at your time off to get better in other areas of your life; i.e. self care, health, working out, and mental health.

*Look at your time away from work as an opportunity to expand your contact list for jobs.

*Realize that your time waiting for a job will not last forever. This is just a learning experience and it does have an expiration date. Take advantage of the time off because it may not come again!