See Jane Write Anniversary Party

 

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Last night, I attended See Jane Write‘s 5th Anniversary Party.  See Jane Write is spearheaded by the one and only Javacia Harris Bowser.  Javacia is a writer, a speaker, a feminist.  She encourages other women to be the best versions of themselves be it through writing, business, or whatever it is that strike’s that woman’s fancy.  She is a convener of minds, and last night was no exception.

The party brought together bloggers of all genre’s.  I was even lucky enough to talk to Teresa TK Thorne, writer and author of a blog and multiple books!  My dear friend Teresa Zuniga Odom of Southern Señora, won Ms. Thorne’s new book – Angel’s Gate – but as she already owned a copy, she kindly gifted the book to me.  I was thrilled!  Ms. Thorne was also kind enough to sign it!!

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I learned about SJW when I first started as a blogger.  It is comprised of so many things, but among them, a Facebook group and informational events/conferences.  See Jane Write is where I got to learn from other bloggers, to share my own work, and to grow as a ‘fashion blogger’; particularly at a time when I had NO idea how to be one!

Congratulations See Jane Write!  May these 5 years be the beginning of a long history of See’ing’ other Jane’s Write!

Oh, and of course…I had to share what I wore to the event.  It was a completely last minute decision, but one that I’m glad I made!  The dress and shoes are rather recent, though the clutch is sold out.  I bought this dress in a small, but fits rather loosely, so know that the sizing is ‘oversized’.  The shoes are true to size and not terribly uncomfortable to walk in.  I left my house around 6:20pm and returned around 9:30pm and did not feel like I was ready to yank them off my feet when I got home.  Good sign!  Here are the deets should you decided to get pieces of this outfit for yourself!

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Outfit details:  Dress, here // Shoes, here // Clutch, similar here

Until next time!  Stay ‘Chic’!

Wishing You a ‘Chic’ New Year

 

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“The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

On the last day of 2015, I am reflecting and planning for the upcoming year. Chic in Academia has grown in ways I never imagined and I have you all to thank for that!  Your insurmountable support is unequaled, and I am forever grateful to you for that.  An added special thanks to all my sponsors this year.  You have made blogging such a fun-filled adventure!!

Personally, I also learned a great deal about myself.  I learned that my body breaks down when I take on too much and that the elusive work-life balance is something that I had not managed to attain this year.  2016 will be different, I hope!  That’s where the planning and goal-setting comes in.

This past week, I made time to plan for 2016.  Uncharted waters are ahead both professionally as well as for CIA (you know, Chic in Academia).  As such – and in an effort to ensure some form of success – I endeavored to plan by setting goals.  Part of that included creating a mission statement. A couple of friends of mine shared this with me, so in turn I am sharing this with you!  One of them happens to also blog and pens the blog Olivia Adventures.  To begin to set goals, one must first decide on a personal mission statement.  The following comes from the Leadership Development Institute at Kent State:

A personal mission statement answers questions like these:

        -What do I want from my life?
        -What do I value?
        -What are my talents?
        -At the end of my life, what do I want to have accomplished?

A personal mission statement is the beginning of personal leadership. It sets guidelines for life. By referring to it and internalizing its meaning, we make choices that serve values and reject the things that oppose them.

Once I had a personal mission statement in mind, I began my goal-setting.  My goals are divided into the following categories: 1) Family, 2) Academia, 3) Blog, 4) Me.  Not in that order, and not all carrying the same weight.  Most importantly, I remembered to include myself in this plan.  This is something I had forgotten to do in the past.

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I bought the planner pictured above to help me keep things organized.  It has a page per day for to-do lists and note-taking, which is ideal for me.  I do use my Gmail calendar to keep track of day-to-day meetings and events, though.

The planner is a Day Designer.  I had one last year and really helped me stay organized.  Or, you know, more so than I would have been otherwise, haha.  It is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also well-constructed!  Although a ring binder, the rings held up all year despite daily use and wear!  It comes in two sizes, though I opted for the largest size.  Additional details and pricing can be found here: The Day Designer.  If you cannot commit to the planner, but want to take advantage of some of the planning tools they offer, be sure to download their free planning printables.  I plan to use them as well!

One of my goals for 2016 is to read.  Read anything and everything.  I think it will help me become a better writer, which is the goal of many academics, I believe.  So, I started with Amy Cuddy’s “Presence”.  It follows her über successful Ted Talk, “Your body language shapes who you are”.  Have you seen it?  If not, watch below:

https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

I was super inspired when I watched the talk, but the book is even BETTER.  Many of the pages include text that I swear I could have written myself.  It’s as if she is speaking to me in many of her anecdotes!  I posted the picture below on Instagram and guess what??  We’re Instagram buddies now.  That’s right, we’re insta-besties. 😉  Seriously though, she followed me back and I had a little happy dance moment.

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In closing, I hope that you will stick around and watch what 2016 has in store for CIA!  I would also love to know more about what you would like me to write/post about.  Though a lover of surveys, I thought instead I would ask you to leave comments below with some of the things you would like to see on the blog/Instagram/Facebook/Pinterest/Twitter.  I very curious to read what you have in mind!

Finally, I wish you all a fruitful, productive, healthy 2016!!  May you achieve every goal you set and may you be even more ‘Chic’ than you already are!

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Until next year!  Stay ‘Chic’!

 

 

Fall-ing for Living Proof

Disclosure:  I partnered with Living Proof for this post, however all opinions are my own.

Fall appears to be transitioning rather slowly this year.  This past week, my city has experienced temps in the 80’s!!  It may therefore come as no surprise that my hair is having a field day and attempting to run amuck.  Thankfully, I now have Living Proof to help avert my hair crises!  I have officially ‘Fall’-en in love with Living Proof.

Many of you already know that I have a PhD.  So it should come as no surprise that I instantly gravitated towards Living Proof’s new line of hair products – PHD (aka Perfect Hair Day)!  I first received a sample of the PHD Overnight cap and loved it.  So when I was asked to sample other items from their line, I enthusiastically agreed!

My hair tends to be super frizzy.  I am NOT the wash-n-go type.  I am the wash, dry for an hour, style for an hour, then tame with products for another hour, type.  Sigh.  I’m exhausted just thinking about it.  Which is why – if you ever see in me in person – my hair is usually up in a bun.  It’s bad.  But, good!  But also, bad.  Cue Living Proof and their amazing hair-taming products!

Living Proof , http://chicinacademia.com

As you can see, I selected many of the Living Proof frizz products, as well as the Perfect Hair Day products.  I used their Product Selector Tool to help me decide what products to get.  I had already tried their PHD Overnight Cap before using the tool, though, so I knew that would be a must this time around as well.  The Product Selector Tool also recommended the Living Proof frizz products, which in combination with the PHD products, have been major game changers for my hair.

Below is a photo of my hair with another product; which at the time, I thought, was taming my hair.  In retrospect, I have realized that it in fact simply weighed down my hair, and by the second day, made it somewhat greasy. No bueno.

Exhibit A:

hair, http://chicinacademia.com

The biggest difference I noticed with the use of the Living Proof Products, was that my hair was not frizzy, felt soft and not ‘dry’, and smelled fragrantly delicious.  Check out two photos I took after using Living Proof products:

Living Proof , http://chicinacademia.com

Living Proof , http://chicinacademia.com

Both these photos were taken while traveling for work and one of the great things that made these hair styles possible was the availability of Living Proof Travel packs!  I sampled both the PHD and the frizz travel packs.  They were heaven sent since I often use whatever the hotel provides and often end up wearing my hair up in a bun or slicked-back with hair spray because my hair becomes untame-able.

Living Proof , http://chicinacademia.com

I’m seriously in love with this line.  It is the first line that preserved my volume, all while eliminating frizz and making my hair smell freshly-washed!  I love that my hair looks like it does not have hair product in it.  I also noticed that I didn’t have icky residue on my hands after applying it to my hair.  Have you noticed that when applying product to your hair, you often have to wash your hands??  well, not with these Living Proof products!  That makes then extra spectacular in my opinion.  They have truly made me achieve my #besthair.  I’m certain it will help you achieve #yourbesthair too!!!  Part of what makes them such an amazingly functional hair care line is – wait for it…here’s the science!! – the combination of two major hair discoveries (following text from LivingProof.com):

Hair Discovery #1:OFPMA

OFPMA is a superior way to care for and style hair; better than any of the conventional technologies that exist in the market, like silicone and oils.

This molecule creates athin, invisible shield around every hair strand. With this shield:

  • hair becomes healthier over time
  • hair is strengthened and protected from daily assaults like brushing and washing
  • hair balances the flow of moisture in and out of strands, so damaging moisture flux is controlled
  • hair fights off humidity, so frizz is stopped in its tracks
  • hair repels oil and dirt so it stays cleaner, longer
  • hair texture is polished into a smooth, glossy lustre

Hair Discovery #2:PBAE

This tiny molecule does big things. Literally. PBAE creates a micropattern of thickening dots on every hair strand, making hair look and behave like textured, full, thick hair.

To understand the power of the PBAE technology, it’s helpful to first understand the root cause of flat hair. It only takes two words: No Friction. Flat hair simply has no friction. The hair strands are so fine and smooth that they lie flat on top of each other. The way conventional texturizers and volumizers work is by trying to create friction…but in two very ineffective ways. They either use damaging chemicals that lift the hair’s cuticle so the strands don’t lie flat against each other, or add glue-like resins that build up on hair, making it feel stiff and unnatural and fall flat fast.

PBAE’s microscopic pattern of thickening dots sit on the surface of the hair, creating the much needed friction and space between every fine hair strand without any of the damage or baggage of conventional technologies. These thickening dots have endurance and don’t break down, even as you run your fingers through your locks, making fullness completely revivable and renewable.

With PBAE:

  • Hair behaves like full, thick hair with body and volume
  • Hair has volume and texture that is revivable and long lasting

Together, these hair discoveries help make Living Proof products the leader in hair makeovers!  So, give them a try!!  I have honestly fallen in love with them and am already fearful that I will run out of product WAY faster than I anticipated, simply because I am using them all so much.  I plan to try the STRAIGHT products next, but for now, I’m enjoying the frizz-free, voluminous styles that the PHD and  Living Proof frizz products are allowing me to achieve!

LP Collage, http://chicinacademia.com

Until next time!  Stay ‘Chic’!