Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Current 2014

So, as some of you know I attended Raw:natural born artist / Current 2014 showcase last Thursday at The Hippodrome right here in RVA. It was a great event, I got a chance to meet some super dope artist, listened to some live entertainment (which was very eccentric to say the least), enjoyed a few cocktails and got a chance to catch up with a good friend of mine who was also in attendance! I know you all get sick of me saying this but I cant stress enough how important it is to support local events like this, by attending you not only support the artist but the venue as well, which we definitely need to see more of in Richmond! I truly was blown away by some of the pieces that were showcased during Current 2014, most of the artist were from RVA, they were young and full of creativity which was easily displayed through their pieces. I talked to several artist who blew me away when they informed me that they had only been painting for a few years! One of my favorite artist of the evening was Addie Rawr of Art and Ambition, her pieces caught my eye the second I walked into the venue! Her paintings were so colorful, bright, and full of life as you can see from the pics I captured below which truly do her pieces no justice! Hoping they bring Current back to Richmond next year and the event continues to grow!



Paintings by: Addie Rawr of Art and Ambition


Dopeness!


Instagram: @AddieRawrrr


Instagram: @blockzart


Paintings by: Brandon Mabry of BlockzsArt




An artist named Yemi did this piece she's orginally from Chicago, her paintings were amazing and she was super sweet! 


Painting by: Yemi 
Instagram:@tequil3sunrise




RAW:natural born artist











Wednesday, November 19, 2014

RAW:natural born artists

RAW:natural born artist Current 2014 showcase is coming to Richmond. I cant wait to attend this event tomorrow night at The Hipp, the event will be hosted by local Comedian Micah White, and will feature artwork from local artist such as Malik Banks, Addie Rawr, Blockzart and so many others. Fashion Designers, Make- Up Artist, and photographers will also be featuring their work. If you're a lover of art in any form, come out and support our local RVA artist. If you're not already familiar with RAW, they're an independent international art organization that hand selects artist to showcase their craft whether it be through visual arts, film, fashion, music, photography, hair and make-up along with other artistic avenues. I'm so excited that Current 2014 will be making a stop in my city, if you don't live in Richmond make sure to check out rawartist.org for more tour dates they will be stopping in ATL, Perth, London, NY and lots of other cities, please make sure you support this movement if they happen to stop in your city. Cant wait to see some of my RVA art lovers tomorrow night!


Tickets are $15 online and $20 at the door.

The Hippodrome
528 North 2nd Street
Richmond VA
Showcase is from 7pm-11pm


Friday, November 14, 2014

Shrimp Kabobs

I want to make sure I start sharing some of my Pescatarian dishes with you guys, just so you can get a glimpse into the variety of delicious meals that are out there, if you're currently or considering transitioning into a Pescatarian diet. I know over the past few years its popularity has really been on the rise with so many people starting to eat healthy, and becoming aware of the foods they put in their bodies, and since I've been one for so long I decided I might as well start incorporating a bit of my diet regimen into the blog. So a few nights ago, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to eat for dinner I typically eat lots of salmon, and pasta throughout the week but had a taste for something different. Of course my babe being the great chef that he is, threw shrimp kabobs out there immediately I was thinking great choice, its something that I never really think to make especially during the cooler months when I don't have access to a grill. Of course I have my little George Foreman, but I hate the way that thing cooks food, I could never get it to cook anything evenly. Anyway we used one red, green, and yellow pepper, along with a red onion and about a half of pound of medium sized shrimp, sliced up all the veggies and placed everything on the skewers. We both love Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce, so of course we poured a dash on top, and stuck them in the oven on 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. They were delish I made a little wild rice to go with it, it turned out to be a great healthy meal. I'm a huge fan of colorful foods and my plate was full of color that night with the variety of veggies we used. We ended up making more shrimp kabobs a few days later and cut up some fresh pineapple slices to add into the mix, this is a meal that doesn't take longer than 30 minutes to make with minimal clean-up, perfect for busy week days and healthy! #cleaneating #pescatarian





Healthy, colorful, delicious meal all in one!






Wednesday, November 5, 2014

My Pescatarian Diet: You are what you eat!

Many moons ago I decided to stop eating meat, it truly was a combination of things including the horrible stomach pains I would get after consuming certain meats, the knowledge I gained from taking a Health and Nutrition class, the in depth look Food INC gave me as too what process most animals go through before making it to the dinner table. No one thing is to attribute with the decision for me to stop eating meat, my diet now consist of veggies, fruits, and various types of seafood. The saying you are what you eat couldn't be more fitting, after ridding my diet of toxic low vibration foods I began to feel more energized, my hair starting growing like a weed, stomach cramping and pain after eating stopped, and that heavy feeling most of us know as the "itis" is none existent. When you tell people you don't eat meat, one of two things comes to mind the first is they think you don't eat anything, the second is they think you don't eat good, or that you're always hungry, neither of which is true. The Pescatarian diet leaves you open to a wide variety of meals/ recipes I mean who wouldn't want to eat salmon, lobster, and shrimp all week, honestly I feel bad for folks who don't eat like that on a regular basis. I wouldn't know what to do without my weekly dosage of Omega 3 that I get from my salmon dishes, or all the protein my body gets from the different variations of seafood I consume throughout the week. Now I wont lie this diet is not cheap but well worth it, if you spend money on anything it might as well be on the food you put in your body. I've seen people wear the most expensive clothes but yet eat the cheapest unhealthiest food out there, when it should really be the other way around, don't cheat your body, besides you only get one. There's so many bonuses to the Pescatarian diet one being that  hair is made of protein so of course following a Pescatarian diet will help to ensure that your hair and nails get what they need to continue to grow and be healthy. Also, lets not forget all the Omega 3 fats that are found in oily fish like salmon, Omega 3 provides oils that keep your hair and scalp hydrated. Cutting meat out of my diet was the best thing I could've done for my body, I don't miss it at all, even if you have no intentions of becoming a Pescatarian I challenge  you to reduce your meat intake throughout the week, incorporate more seafood and veggies and after a few weeks your body will feel different, it takes time to rid all the toxins out of your body but believe me you will begin to feel more energized and "light" in  a sense. Everyone seems to be on a healthy kick lately, I mean seriously I cant even scroll through my IG timeline without seeing  #cleaneating,  #teamhealthy, or some other hashtag in reference to healthy living. Which is great I just hope its not a fad, and that people are really taking the necessary steps to live a healthy lifestyle and not just doing it for the gram!




Be good to your body, we only get one. You can eat healthy without depriving yourself of tasty food!






Thursday, October 23, 2014

RVA Fashion Week: Fall Fashion Weekend

To all my RVA folks, RVA Fashion Week is hosting its Fall Fashion Weekend this Friday and Saturday at Haxall Point! Things kick off  Friday night at 7pm with an Art and Jewelry Showcase featuring pieces from local artist/ designers. Saturday nights Designer Fashion Show begins at 8pm and will feature Fall Collections from 6 local designers. I cant stress this enough but please come out and support all of our local artist and designers here in RVA, Friday nights showcase is free people! So you dont have to spend a dime, come out support and network, its truly a great way to start your weekend!




I'll most likely be in attendance at Friday nights show, if you see me please come chat with me for a few! I love meeting my readers, I'm sure I'll be walking around enjoying a cocktail or two, hope to see you there! 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Weekend Looks!

Yassss layering season is here, although Summer is my favorite season, I cant help but love the Fall/ Winter due to the fact that I love layering my clothing. Summer clothes are cute and simple but I really feel like you can create amazing looks during the colder months when layering, boots, and accessories come into play. As you all know a few weekends ago I attended VA Fashion Week, and wanted to share my looks with you. After 12 years of owning my Guess by Marciano bustier I finally got a chance to wear it, and I'm absolutely in love with it, why am I just now wearing this piece! I wore it under my Forever 21 blazer and over the knee Colin Stuart boots that I ordered from Victoria Secret a few years ago. My favorite Moto Jacket and black Fedora were also in rotation that weekend, here are a few pics of my looks! Ladies what are your favorite winter accessories I must say mine is hats, but I also have a new found addiction to leather gloves!



Forever 21 Blazer, Guess by Marciano Bustier, H&M Black Skinny Jeans, H&M White Belt


Love this Bustier!!


Layers!


Wearing my ASOS Black Turtleneck dress, its a go to when I'm clueless as to what I'm going to wear! I'm a firm believer that every woman should own at least one Little Black Dress!




Happy Layering Ladies!













Friday, October 17, 2014

Alexander Wang for H&M

November 6th cant get here soon enough, I've been waiting on this collaboration since the Spring when I first got wind that the legendary Alexander Wang would be creating a line for H&M, he's one of my favorite designers, I've always been a huge fan of Wang and this line doesn't disappoint. The scuba inspired highly textured collection is perfect for the Fall, I love the muted color pallet that Wang chose to go with consisting primarily of white, black, and various shades of gray. The simplicity of this collection is what I truly love, the line features leggings, crop tops, and sweatshirts, essentials every women should have in her closet. Yall already know I will be on online at midnight filling my shopping cart on November 6th, reminder is already set in my phone! The sweatshirt and two-piece crop top and legging set are a must for my fall wardrobe! 




Love this set!!






Pure Dopeness!








Saturday, October 4, 2014

30 for 30!

So, last month I celebrated my 30th Birthday, I honestly cant believe I'm already 30 seriously where has the time gone. Anyone who recently turn 30 understands what I'm talking about, seems like just yesterday I was filling out my college class schedule and now all of a sudden I'm the big 3-0, geesh time truly waits for no one! I had a wonderful b-day my babe surprised me with a lovely dinner, all my close friends and family were there, it was a really special night for me. Anyway there are so many things that I want to do this year, and so many places I want to explore, so I promised myself that I would do 30 things I've never done before. I kicked off my 30 for 30 plan with a Pole Dancing class during my birthday weekend, a few of my close friends and I attended a 2 hour intense if I might add Pole Dancing class at Dance Studio X here in RVA, our instructor was great and it truly was a amazing workout. I swear for about 3 days my body was super sore, I could barely lift my arms but I love feeling the burn after a good workout, so I really want to incorporate a Pole Dancing class into my workout regimen even if its just once or twice a month. Here's a few pics from the class, for my first time on the pole I didn't do bad I was even was able to pull myself all the way up to the top of the pole, I did that about 3 or 4 times just because I was so shocked that I could actually do it. Your looking at a girl who couldn't do a pull up in school so the fact that I pulled myself up the pole was a small defeat in my eyes. I'll be taking you guys on the journey with me so stay turned to BarclayINC to keep up with my 30 for 30 plans, next up on the list is Salsa Dancing! If any of my readers have been Salsa Dancing please leave me a comment with any tips or pointers, I cant wait to share my experiences with you all!






In my head I was a pro, in reality I need a little more practice!


Finally got to wear my pink platforms for the first time, perfect shoes for Pole Dancing glad I found some use for them!







Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Repeat Offender!

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in previous post, but I'm definitely not that chick whose afraid to repeat/ recycle the same piece or pieces. I try to buy timeless pieces that I can wear for years to come, and that can be mixed and matched with other items to keep it fresh. I'm also not afraid to be photographed in the same outfit/ pieces twice because 9 times out of 10 I've created a completely different look, almost to the point where you may not even notice if you've seen me in it before! I'm not a millionaire just yet, so buying cloths just to wear once or twice isn't happening. I have some friends that cringe at the thought of posting a pic on Insta or any social media for that matter, wearing a repeat outfit, it makes me chuckle just at the thought of it! So, I just wanted to share with you guys a few of my looks based around one piece, I love this Leopard Print dress that I got from H&M a few years back, I've paired it with everything from my over the knee boots, to my vintage Motorcycle Boots. It truly looks good with just about anything and its always an easy go to outfit when I'm pressed for time, or just cant figure out what to wear.




State-Fair Fall 2014


VA Fashion Week Fall 2013


RVAFW Spring 2014



I would love to know what pieces you guys recycle within your wardrobe, and what your go to items are, so do share!






Saturday, September 27, 2014

VAFW 2014

I cant believe its almost time again for VA Fashion Week, I remember attending one of the VAFW showcases this same time last year, it was a rainy cool Fall evening. Despite the cool weather and rain my fit was dope that night, I wore my leopard print H&M dress, with my Moto boots, and black Fedora. Doesn't seem like a whole year has passed, anyway I'm super excited to be attending this years festivities, the wheels are already turning in my head as to what look I want to go for this year. Over 25 new designers will be showcased during VAFW this year, including Lizzi London a Fashion Designer from London, England whose collection will be shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach. I love how fashion changes and evolves even over just a short period of time, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what this years up and coming designers bring to the show! Its so refreshing attending events like this especially in VA, I love connecting and networking with others who have the same passion and love for the fashion culture as I do. I've met so many amazingly interesting people over the past few years, especially since I've been blogging. If any of my readers live in VA and plan on attending VAFW please leave me a comment I would love to meet some of you!





The opening show "Fashion For a Cause" will be held right here in RVA on Sunday October 5th, 2014 from 3-6pm at Celebrate Downtown located at 103 E Broad St. Super excited that one of the VAFW showcases is being held right here this year! Hope all my Richmond fashion lovers will be in attendance supporting this event! 

Purchase your tickets at www.vafashionweek.com

.





Monday, September 22, 2014

A Few New Fall Pieces

I absolutely love the Summer, so I'm sad that it has come to an end I swear this year seems to be going by so fast! However as much as I love Summer weather I absolutely am a stan for Fall Fashion, lots of layers, boots, hats and scarves are definitely my thing. I'm so excited that in another few weeks I can pull out my Moto Jacket with my boots and really get creative with my looks. I love the colors that come with the Fall wardrobe like mustard, ox blood, and my all time fav lots of black. I picked up a few new pieces from H&M a few weeks ago, I'm in process of building up my Fall wardrobe and will be taking you guys on the journey with me, sharing my latest finds, and showing you how I incorporate them into my everyday looks, mixing old with the new.



Love the texture and color of this top, and its nice and thick! 
Mustard is one of my fav colors it really compliments my complexion so you will be seeing me in this color a ton this Fall/Winter.


(P.S this is the actual color of this top, 1st pic was without the flash)


Love this shirt dress, I plan on pairing this with a pair of tights and my over the knee boots or a cute pair of booties.


This piece is lined on the inside which is really nice.


Happy Fall Ladies, stay tuned to BarclayINC to see more of my Fall wardrobe and looks! 





Friday, August 29, 2014

A Day in D.C

This passed Sunday a friend and I hit the road and headed to DC. I love DC its such a melting pot of unique folks from all walks of life, from the shopping to the food, I always have a good time whenever I'm in the District of Colombia. We checked out a few vintage stores, which honestly were way too pricey for me. I'm a true thrifter so paying high prices for used clothing just doesn't add up to me, next time i'll be sure to make my way to the nearest goodwill where I can find some great vintage pieces at a reasonable price. We of course did the whole Georgetown thing, made our way to Sprinkles to grab a few cupcakes, and then headed to Georgia Brown's for dinner. Georgia Brown's was great the menu offered a nice variety of Southern Style cuisine, I got salmon with mac and cheese and a side of broccoli. I basically created my own meal, which was absolutely delicious and filling, the ambiance of the restaurant was lovely as well its what to be expected from any fine restaurant in the DC/ Northern VA area. I highly recommend if you live in or are visiting the DC area to check out Georgia Browns, you wont be disappointed. Here are a few pics of my OOTD, for the first time this summer I got a chance to wear my orange F21 Duster along with my gifted Eshakti crop top and my high- waisted Urban Outfitter jeans. Just about every pair of jeans in my closet are from Urban Outfitters, I even have duplicates of the same wash. I absolutely love their high-waisted denim they fit me perfectly and the fact that they come in "long" are a plus! Here are a few candids of my day in DC!








Oh Hey!


Georgetown


Sprinkles Cupcakes


I spent $3.75 on this cupcake and it was worth every cent!


I was so hungry I didn't even get a food pic, I just started stuffing my face, but take my word the food is delish!









Thursday, July 24, 2014

Warby Parker: Beacon Collection

I'm super excited that Warby Parker choose BarclayINC as one of the blogs to help assist in spreading the word about the launch of their new collection of glasses and sunglasses, the Beacon Collection. If you've been living under a rock for the past few years and have no idea about the Warby Parker brand, I'll just say they're one of the dopest eye wear companies out there! I remember some time ago going to a launch Warby Parker had at Need Supply Co. right here in RVA, I completely fell in love with the brand at that time, so its crazy now that I'm helping to announce the launch of the Beacon Collection. The glasses and sunglasses from this collection are unique and original with a bit of a vintage feel! Warby Parker makes sure they have something for everyone, they offer tons of different styles and frames to choose from, which can be purchased with or without a prescription! If you're in the market for some new specs, or just need another pair of sunnies to add to your Summer collection make sure to check out the Beacon Collection from Warby Parker! Here a few of my fav looks from the newly launched Beacon Collection, which ones are your favs?!






Models wearing: Nancy in Lemon and Ingram in Revolver Black 







Models wearing: McKee in Moonstone and Garrett in Oak Barrel



Shop these looks at:



The Warby Parker Beacon Collection Launches today July 24th!!


P.S When you purchase a pair or Warby Parker glasses,
 a pair is also donated to a person in need!




















Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Eshakti Set!

Hey Loves, I feel like I've completely neglected the blog over the past month between being super busy with family and just life itself, I really haven't had the time to blog as usual. Things are starting to calm down so be on the look out for some great upcoming post about Summer fashion, my Summer vacays, music festivals etc. A few months back I did a post on a beautiful crop top and midi set that  had been gifted to me from Eshakti! I wanted to share some candid's I took in this adorable set. I actually haven't worn it out as a set yet, but I did mix it up a bit by wearing the skirt and pairing it with a black crop top, which made for a really cute look. I'm waiting for the perfect time and place to wear it to as an actual set, so please believe you will be seeing a lot more of this little outfit before Summer is all said and done with. For right now here's a little sneak peak! Ladies please make sure you check out Eshakti.com they have lots of amazing affordable pieces that can be tailored to your size and shape! Their prices are wonderful and they offer a great selection of classic vintage inspired pieces!






I absolutely adore this set, thanks Eshakti! 
Eshakti.com