Change has come....

Photo: via

I purposely took a step back from this blog, the 10 or so other fashion blogs I checked daily and the number of hours I spent online.

I am rethinking a few things....

be good. do better. look your best.

tamyanka

I like her style!

Celebrities get free stuff, their income tend to be in the millions, so I usually do not get caught up with their style. 

Then there is Rihanna. Maybe I am biased 'cause she is Caribbean. Maybe it's because of the risks she takes. Whatever it is, I like her style. Her confidence is her best accessory.

Via:theybf.com

be good. do better. look your best.

tammyanka

Unsustainable needs

I had a little get together in my yard this past weekend. I knew my backyard needed a bit of "fixing" but seeing it on film made me recognize that attention is needed immediately! I like refurbishing old furniture, and I have done what I can with the hand me downs the older property owner left. But I need help!!

While I know Boston only gets 2-3 months of outdoor type weather, I am putting my wish list out there and will scavenger the thrift stores, online etc until the space is fabulous.

Images via
I am thinking a coral theme, wrought iron, candles, hammock.......Am I asking for too much?

be good. do better. look your best.
tammyanka

Mamma's Style

Today is my mother’s 50th birthday! She is my hero, friend, biggest supporter and style icon. She taught me to never carry large totes and handbags to evening occasions. Hence my obsession with the clutch! To wear what I had with my biggest smile and to look my best since you never know what the day will bring. She balanced style with comfort and was always creative on a 'third world economy' sized budget. 

With three growing girls and a father who thought clothing was only needed to cover the body, she made fashionable outfits from the scraps of her clients (she was a reluctant seamstress) and ‘remixed’ our clothes by adding patches, laces, buttons and miscellaneous things for a new look.

Since I cannot be in Jamaica with her today, I am wearing a cardigan that originally belonged to her. Both my sisters and I have owned this cardigan at some point.  The cardigan is imitation Calvin Klein, bought in downtown Kingston and commonly found in 'third world countries'.:)

I love you Mommy!

Cardigan-  imitation CK ( originally my mother's circ 1995)

Skirt - F21 (thrifted)

T-shirt - F21

Scarf - H&M

be good. do better. look your best.

tammyanka

............sigh

“Life is like art. You have to work hard to keep it simple and still have meaning.”

Charles de Lint (Celtic folk musician and story teller)

Unrelated variables

Some things just don’t go together. Others do. How do we train our eyes, ears and mind to decipher between the two? Who decides that peanut butter goes with jelly, rice with beans and that stripes and plaid (in a general way) should not be mixed?

Why can’t I explore dancehall culture and biodiversity conservation in the same paper? Are there double majors in Interior Design and Biology? Why are theories, disciplines, subjects compartmentalized. I am not. You? 

Does my belt go with that top?

Abstract patterned top - French Connection

Belt - thrifted

Shorts - Old Navy

Silver flats - Coach (not shown)

be good. do better. look your best.

tammyanka

Sun Salutation

Still under pressure. Not much time to chatter. Weather forecasted to peak at 90 degrees, but I have formal presentation on conservation by way of protected areas in the Cockpit Country. Hence the cropped blazer over my sun dress.

Silk dress- thrifted

Fuschia tank- Guess

Cropped blazer- BCBG

Bug medallion necklace- Lucky brand

Peep my groups' poster for a proposed Multi-use Protected Area. 

be good. do better. look your best.

Tammyanka

Dressing under pressure

I walked into work this morning, my director immediately commented, " No way you are dressed like that and you have finals and a huge launch event at the end of the week." I smiled and politely said, while eyeing her attire "I prefer to get dressed under pressure." 

It's a bit odd. Strapped for time, low on energy, yet I am motivated to bust out stylin'. I think.

Shirtdress - The Gap

White cropped pants - Buffalo (my wedding pants)

Straw bag - The Gap

Metallic T- Straps - Steve Madden

Earrings - thrifted vintage

be good. do better.look your best.

tammyanka

 

Sunday Best (On Monday)

Finals!! Urghh! 

I took a break and went to an outdoor concert at school. Over 80 degrees in Boston in the month of April. Life is good.

Source:  Lili's facebook album

Fuschia tank: Guess

White skirt - TJ Maxx

be good. do better. look your best.

tammyanka

Sprung!

Today was a regular old day taking on Social Capital and Income Inequality (who you know and how much you earn) and Eco-Tourism..again.

My economics professor stirred much controversy this morning with his less than popular view on the irrelevance of sustainability. His argument is that the earth and humans will self regulate or perish. Stop worrying about the unpredictable future he warns. According to him, nothing lasts forever so enjoy it while you can. 

While I am not quick to agree with his entire argument, I find some truth in it. Until, I am fully convinced either way, I'll enjoy my paradox lifestyle of preaching biodiversity conservation and consuming dozens of cotton and silk dresses, like the one below.  I'll buy them used when I can, air dry them to save electricity etc.... at least I am aware of my dilemma. What's yours?

Cotton eyelet dress - Roxy

Silk scarf - Longchamps (thrifted)

Denim jacket - Guess

Bamboo and Straw bangles - gifts

Purple flats - not shown( Nine west)

be good. do better. look your best.

T

Anthropolo(bee)

Source: www.siam.com

At the Boston Nature Center today, we briefly talked about how changes , primarily the built environment and introduction of foreign (invasive) species, minimized the need for some of our insect friends along the food web. Do you see as many butterflies and bees as you did as a child? I don't. 

Coincidentally,  Anthropologie, a store I like to look to for inspiration has an Earth Day initiative to bring awareness to the importance  of bees. See here for more details....clink on the 'Read more' link. I think it's really quirky and cute and suits their eclectic image.

It's not too late to do an act of green.

be good. do better. look your best.

T

It started with field trips

While laying bed thinking about what to wear and buying time because I did not want to leave the warmth of my bed for Economics class. I reflected on how I got into to the field of Sustainable Development. Believe it or not, it started in some  sort of way with my love for getting dressed up and traveling. 

For high school, I went to an all girls catholic school. We wore less than fashionable polyester long pleated royal blue skirts, with a cream shirt and a make shift tie. In the 9th grade when it was time to choose subjects for a "career path" I opted for geography, the only subject that had frequently had all day trips to rural parts of Jamaica where I  became more interested in inequality, class, rural poverty etc. and was allowed to wear t-shirt and denim and ........(wait for it) .....earrings! As a Geography major in college the field trips continued.

Eleven years post high school I am still excited about field trips. Today we are off to the Boston Nature Center for my Eco- tourism class.

So paying homage to my start I backed out a pair of denim for field trip day!

Argyle sweater - Gift from my BFF( since 9th in high school too)

Silk lace sleeve shirt- INC (Macy's)

Denim- H&M

Nude wedges- Nine West

Gold belt - Betsy Johnson

be good. do better. look your best.

Tammyanka

Pre- Earth Day Style

Every day is the earth's day, but April 22nd is a designated day to draw attention to the challenges facing our natural environment as well as  to celebrate it's beauty.

Join the rest of the world and go to the Earth Day website to help create 1 Billion Acts of Green. There's the planting a tree, changing light bulbs etc, that definitely help reduce carbon emission and such. The site has options to describe your action. I decided to register that I'm wearing a mostly thrifted/recycle outfit today (not sure what category that falls under)& I'm educating family and friends( you included!). It's important to add that my clothes were air dryed as well. Which means extra points to me for not using the dryer, I also didn't need to iron my clothes since I was careful to fold them neatly.

H&M sweater - thrifted

Grey skirt- thrifted

Shell earrings- thrifted

Scarf worn as a belt- thrifted

Gold tiered necklace- thrifted

Shoes - not thrifted(I still have a red flag on that)

be good. do better.look your best.

Tammyanka

Montreal edition

Bonjour Montreal

I wore this combo to work in the morning.

Brown  shift dress -  BCBG

Cardigan - Club Monaco(thrifted)

Orange flats - Gap

Since my orange flats is my new staple, I kept it for the 6 hour ride to Montreal and went to dinner upon my arrival. 

Jeans- Vigoss

T-Shirt - J-Crew

There is so much to share about this European-esque city, but time does not permit. Off to the Jardin- botanique!!

be good. do better. look your best.

T

Spring Cleaning

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant. Anne Bradstreet

be good. do better. look your best.
T

Sunday Best

 

I'm excited about this dress. Mr. Husband bought it as a gift when after mixed up all the colors of the rainbow in the washer and destroyed some of my dresses.

Abstract wrap dress - Banana Republic

Nude sling back pumps - Anne Klien

Vintage Suede clutch - yard sale, (circa 1970)$1

Monet earrings - thrifted

Happy Easter, Passover or neither of the above!

be good. do better. look your best.

Tammyanka

Easter Eggs Skirt

Where I’m from yesterday was Holy Thursday, today is Good Friday, Sunday is Easter Sunday and Monday is Easter Monday. Banks, schools, etc are closed!!!

Since I am required to be at work today, I decided to wear my 'new to me' Marc Jacobs skirt, that reminds me of Easter eggs. These muted colors paired with brilliant burnt orange flats should make my day of working on public park and green spaces go by faster.



VNeck Sweater – The Gap
Skirt – Marc Jacobs (free to me)
Flats- The Gap (so comfy)
Bag – Vintage Bonnie Cashin/Coach (I AM IN LOVE)
Earrings- Bought them in Jamaica (equivalent $1.20)

be good. do better. look your best
Tammyanka

Composting

I'm spring break for the next week and half . Yeah me!! So to kick start this season , I'm doing a bit of closet organization as well as working on my compost project. 

Composting is a gold mine. Everyone who eats can do this. Food scraps (veggies, fruit peels) + dry leaf/branches twigs+ air + moisture+ time = Rich organic material for plants!!!  You eat right? 

TRY IT!!

I had to keep on my thrifted vintage red enamel bracelet for a pick me up while I mixed up the yukkie stuff.

be good. do better. look your best.

T