Former Essence Editor Mikki Taylor Debuts New Book Today-- Commander in Chic: Every Woman's Guide to Managing her Style Like a First Lady

It's a great day in the world of fashion! Style Connoisseur Mikki Taylor's new book, Commander in Chic: Every Woman's Guide to Managing her Style Like a First Lady, debuts today! Her book release party was held at Tracy Reese, and looked even more fab than we could have imagined. Soledad O'Brien was there along with fellow bloggers and editors. I was stuck in Maryland, in class. Grr. Take a look at the party pics here and here.

Commander in Chic: Every Woman's Guide to Managing her Style Like a First Lady is about to be my new fashion guide. I am a firm follower of Mikki Taylor. Whatever she says is golden to me. I'm crazy excited about this book because my wardrobe is full of clothes that don't and pieces that I've had that no longer fit my style. I'm into dresses and skirts along with loads and loads of prints. I don't own many of any of these. Can't wait to hit the purchase button and add it to my collection of fashion books! I'll be purchasing on Kindle for Ipad, pictured above.

I'm Inspired by Oprah's Lifeclass

So listen. Oprah is awesome. People melt like buttah when it comes to her opinions, likes and dislikes. It's insane. I enjoyed The Oprah Winfrey Show as much as the next person. Here's how it works. Oprah's Lifeclass show comes on Monday through Friday on Own. She then has a live webcast with additional thoughts, comments and questions.

Lifeclass is the TRUTH.

I was hooked on episode #3, You Become What You Believe. When Jim Carrey said he would sit in his dream neighborhood and just dream...I almost lost it. I've been doing the same thing for nearly 3 years now. Just a few months ago, I went to the very development and snapped several pictures, just to keep me inspired. My short term goal is to live in the home that I grew up in in downtown Baltimore. Super spacious, urban, full of sentimental value. That image of that home is the first thing I see anytime I pick up my phone, 40 or 50 times a day. It's constantly on my mind, and that picture (and my vision board) pushes me to work harder to make those goals happen all the time. It's all about the law of attraction. I'll be re-watching that webcast tonight.

I tape all of the episodes, and catch up on the ones that I'm interested in. Last night, I watched the people that were "living a financial lie". Come on, son. You have 6 kids, spend $400 on Starbucks a month, get your hair and nails done faithfully--but none of your kids have health insurance?

That Starbucks part kicked my butt, though. I'm a chronic eater-outer. It's the dumbest thing in the world, because I absolutely love to cook! I even started a food blog, Funky Brown Foodie, to document the yummy foods that I make. I can't worry about new clothes and stuff like that. I'm trying to save up to move into that home. I need to pay off these student loans. I need to see the world. I want to be my own boss.

Well, enough preaching. I highly advise you to go back and watch as many clips and reruns of Lifeclass as humanly possible. Many of these ideas aren't new, but they are reinforced. It's something we can all benefit from.

5 Things We Can All Learn from Afrobella, Patrice Grell Yursik

I met Patrice for the first time in 2009, but have virtually known her for a bit longer than that. Her blog, Afrobella, is a daily read for thousands of people all over the world. When I met her, she was an instant BFF. I know that many of you get that same feeling when you meet her, or even read her blog. She's one of those people that you can only wish the best for, because she's such an awesome person. It took me several days to write this post, but here's something we can all learn from Patrice Yursik.

1. Always keep them guessing Patrice comes from out of nowhere with her big news. Just when you think she's going to chill out for a minute...BAM! Vogue Italia. BOOM! Beautylish. She's always stepping her game up.

2. Write about what makes you happy Afrobella is a beauty blog by trade, but it's really so much more than that. We've seen her write about so many different things, and we all feel like we "get" her. Her blog says she's a beauty, hair and culture blogger, and she does all three with precision.

3. Don't forget where you came from Patrice shows Trini pride all day, everyday. It's evident through her posts, tweets and support to her home.

4. Stay humble Patrice is so nice. I don't mean to use that four letter word, but she truly is. She treats you like an individual, and that makes her such an outstanding person. She's sincere and inviting, and that speaks volumes considering this ego-driven society that we're living in. She created the lovely gloss that she's wearing in this picture, All My Purple Life, for MAC Cosmetics. She even has over 22,000 twitter followers. The woman does it big, and she's still down to earth.

5. You don't have to be in NYC to "make it" Sorry, this is a big one for me. Patrice came from Miami and moved to Chicago. She has a massive, world-renowned brand that lets her do what she loves full-time. Remember my video interview with Billy B. on "Being A Success Wherever You Are"? Patrice lives this, and I commend it.

Kudos, Patrice. You're the godmother of beauty blogging, and I mean it every time I say it. Wishing you much love and continued success, from the bottom of my heart. 

xoxo,

EJB