Two Years Natural!

Hi all! So February is coming to a close and I almost forgot (sometimes my mind likes to go on vacay without me) this month marks my 2-year anniversary of being on #teamnatural!

I can't believe it's been 2-years as I still feel like I've only just begun this journey. Also looking back at pictures, holy crap has my hair grown! Seeing your hair day in and day out you never really notice the difference in growth, at times I've felt it was stuck at the same length, but I'm happy to see that I actually have a pretty thick and fluffy fro going on ;D

View More »

Outfitted :: Skull Candy

It's outfit #10! I've made it a quarter of the way through with only 30 more outfits to go..............that's a little depressing as that's still a lot of outfits I have to come up with, especially when I feel I've been doing this for 20 days instead of 10, haha!


View More »

Fashion Find: Nikki Rich

Hi all! Today I want to introduce you to a fashion/lifestyle brand I recently discovered - Nikki Rich. Created by design-duo Nikki Lund and Richie Sambora, this line offers unique pieces including tailored jackets and blazers, silky shirts, knit tops, flattering pants, and drop-dead gorgeous dresses (I'm especially eyeing those maxi's). Using a unique design aesthetic, luxe textiles, and impeccable craftsmanship, it's a chic blend of items that expertly echos the pair's own eclectic personal style. And the best part? It's all at a very affordable price (winning!).

View More »

Outfitted :: Mixing Prints

Happy Monday lovers! Wow, this weekend was killer. I had all these plans of being a social butterfly when in actuality I spent the majority, if not all, my time doing school work, but I suppose that's what I get for procrastinating throughout the week. I really need to work on my time management skills.

Despite being inside sucked into the black hole that is grad school homework, I still managed to put this little number together, even though I didn't go anywhere until it was time for my 8pm work meeting...on a Sunday...on Oscar's night (yup, I was super thrilled).

This outfit is a crazy mash-up of prints, even when I thought of it in my mind I wasn't sure it would work in real-life. A graphic print cardigan, floral blouse, and leopard print booties would seem like a bit much (even my mind was like 'woah Ashlei, let's pump the breaks'), but it managed to come together and I have to admit, this is probably one of my favorite outfits so far.


View More »

Outfitted :: Animation, Animals, & Motifs

It was really hard to get going yesterday. I've been slacking hard-core with my outfits these past couple days. I tell myself I'm "taking a break" and end up wearing my pjs/sweatpants all day, and after doing so for a couple days it's hard to motivate myself to look presentable.

So full disclosure on this outfit: I barely took a shower (read: just washed my face, water only, cold water...) and struggled super hard coming up with this look. This is actually very similar to an outfit you've seen here, with slightly different elements. But that is how unmotivated to get dressed I was feeling, my ability to think creatively was nonexistent. I blame the snow for my laziness.

However feelings of cabin fever outweighed my desire to be lazy, so I convinced DCT to take me out to lunch and, unbeknownst to him, take outfit pictures for me.

View More »

Outfitted :: Neon For Sore Eyes

View More »

NYFW Fall 2013 :: What I Learned

Hi all! I thought I'd take a little break from all the outfit posts lately (actually, in reality, I was off yesterday and felt really lazy and therefore spent the entire day in my pajamas :D) and share with you a few things I learned from NYFW for Fall 2013. This is in no way a formal review or professional thoughts on the shows, just things I personally noticed and am looking forward to come this fall. I hope you enjoy!

View More »

Outfitted :: Sweet or Swag

Hi all! Introducing outfits 5 and 6, where I coincidentally show you two ways to wear a classic chambray top. One is sweet and one is full of swag, I'll let you decide which is which...

*Details: Zara Chambray top (old, looking to invest in a new one like this from Madewell ) / Gap dress (similar, also loving this and this) / H&M knee-high socks / Steve Madden 'Gretell' boot / Vintage Coach / Random scarf / Michael Kors watch, rings (on sale!), & bangle

View More »

Outfitted :: Parisian Stripes

Thrifted Stripe sweater (similar from American Apparel) / H&M Boyfriend jeans / Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Baby Q Aidan / Charlotte Russe booties / Elizabeth & James sunnies / Random scarf

View More »

Outfitted :: Weekend Florals

Vintage Floral Maxi (love this ASOS maxi) / Sparkle & Fade Crop Sweater (great alternative from Nasty Gal) / Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby Aidan / H&M Belt / Jessica Simpson Coat (similar) / Old Navy Booties (also worn here) / Elizabeth & James Sunnies

View More »

Outfitted :: Be Mine, Valentine

Timing Dot blouse (similar from the Kardashian Kollection) / H&M skirt as dress (old) / Old Navy leopard booties

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day! I hope your day was spent surrounded by people you love whether that be a significant other, mother, father, siblings, or friends. I personally have never looked at Valentine's Day as being a strictly romantic holiday, it's about spreading all sorts of love.

Of course, it being a holiday, I always jump at the opportunity to show my holiday cheer through what I wear and though I wasn't screaming Valentine's Day as much as last year, I like to think I gave it a little wink with a blouse covered in the palest of pink dots, a flirty dress (that is actually a skirt), a touch of leopard (because, why not?), and rose colored lips. I think I was rather full of the Valentine's Day spirit :) 

Other than that, my Valentine's was pretty low-key, DCT and I have been so busy and are currently working different schedules that we didn't even plan to do anything, it was just your average day at the A & D household, we splurged a little on Thai delivery and snuggled up for a late-night movie thanks to Red Box and our home theater. Sweatpants and slippers were in attendance, it was the perfect way to end the most romantic day of the year.

And on that note, Happy freakin' Friday! Thanks for reading!

Outfitted :: 30x40 Challenge, Day 1

Akira wrap jacket (similar) / Helmut Lang leather shorts (love this and this) / Target tights / Joie 'New Orleans' boot / Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Classic Q Baby Aidan' bag

Here we go! It's Day 1 of my 30x40 challenge and you may notice this cartoon-ish arrowhead print wrap jacket was not part of my original 30. I did a last minute switcheroo and decided to remix this number rather than my leather jacket. So no worries, I'm not cheating on my first day :)

I wanted to keep the first look pretty casual & simple, it was my day off and there's no need to throw all my best ideas out there at once. I have a feeling this wrap jacket will be making quite a few appearances throughout this challenge, it's quite versatile, as I'm sure you'll see. Also, it's a little hard to tell in the photos, but my tights are actually a deep shade of purple, I thought it added a little more depth to the blacks and neutral tones in the rest of the look. It's an unexpected color for tights, and I always love the addition of something unexpected.

I know I'm going to regret saying this approximately 5-10 days into this challenge, but it's slightly refreshing having only 30 items to chose from when getting ready. It can be really daunting having a closet jam packed with clothes, shoes, and various accessories and having to figure out what to do with all of them. So for now, having only 30 is a nice release. And now that I've officially jinxed myself, let's see how I'm feeling about 10 days in. ;)

Have a great Thursday, Happy Valentine's Day (almost forgot about that, whoops!), and thanks for reading!

Essence Magazine :: Street Style

Who's behind that handsome face and luscious lips?

Me!! *Happy Dance*

I'm so excited to finally share this with you guys! Though I knew I was going to be in this issue, I still screamed, jumped, did my 'AshMo Dance', and basically acted a fool when I finally saw it in person (good thing I was in my kitchen and not in the middle of Walgreens). But I'm in freakin' Essence Magazine!! How cool is that?

I must tell you how this happened, as it's kind of a funny story. I actually saw Essence make a Facebook post about looking for street style photos of people wearing 'pops of color', and you all know me, I love color so I knew I could easily find a picture to send in just to see what happens. So I type up a little email about me and the blog and send it over to Essence.

About a week goes by, and I've kind of forgotten the whole thing, when I get an email from their intern? Assistant? Editor? I'm not so sure, but essentially silly Ashlei forgot to actually attach the picture! I know, such a rookie mistake! And I'm sure they received thousands of emails of photos, so you would think if they came to an email without a photo attached, they'd move on to the next one, too bad so sad. But as luck would have it, whoever was sifting through those emails was a totally awesome person and shot me a quick email back letting me know I didn't actually attach a photo.

Of course I'm at work when I receive this email, with only my phone, so I'm scrambling to download the picture from my blog onto my phone and actually attach it to the email and send it back. Such. A. Hot. Mess. Haha! After another 2 weeks go by, and again I kind of forgot about the whole ordeal, plus I kind of assumed it wasn't going to happen anyways, I get another email and surprise! They've chosen my picture to be featured! Yayyyyyy!

So a big thank you to whoever saw my original email with the photo unattached, for without them, I wouldn't be sharing this with you all today. And of course, thanks to Essence for choosing my picture in the end! You guys rock!

Thanks for reading and Happy Wednesday!

p.s. you all just got a sneak peak at my first outfit for the 30x40 challenge ;)

A Challenge

Happy Monday guys and dolls! Hope your weekend was grand. Quite a bit has been going on at the KATNP Headquarters (a.k.a. my kitchen table), for one New York Fashion week is in full swing and I've been glued to Style.com for the latest updates. You won't see any formal reviews of shows on here, but I'm planning a week's end round up of what I've learned to expect for Fall 2013, but until then you can keep up with my thoughts via Twitter and see some of my favorite looks on Tumblr/Pinterest.

Second, I'd like to formally introduce you all to a new outfit challenge. As you may, or may not, know Lent is just around the corner (starting this Wednesday!) and like last year I plan on giving up shopping, but unlike last year I'm planning on sticking to it. In addition, in attempts to keep things interesting for both me and the blog I've also decided to take a 30x40 outfit challenge. Originally inspired by Kendi Everyday's 30x30 challenge, I'll essentially take 30 pieces from my closet and make 40 different and (hopefully) stylish outfits for the 40 days of Lent. Crazy?! Yes, I know, I like to torture my mind to spice things up every once and awhile.

I won't lie, I'm really nervous and have been slightly stressed out trying to figure out what 30 pieces to use. I'm still unsure about my final selections, but they're officially out in the blogosphere so I'm officially committed, for better or for worse. Check out my 30 selections below and then please pray for my sanity for the next 40 days.

Is it bad that I've selected more shoes than any other category? We all know where my loyalties lie in my closet, haha! Here's a more basic breakdown of my 30 pieces.

7 pairs of shoes

2 dresses

5 shirts

5 sweaters

3 pants

1 pair of shorts

3 skirts

3 jackets

1 faux fur vest

30 pieces. 40 looks. Let's do this!

Thanks for reading!

How to Style :: Winter Brights

I've been feeling a tad under-the-weather these past few days, I think it's more allergies than actual sickness, but nonetheless it's annoying and has resulted in me being mopey and helpless around the house. It has also effected my outfit choices - blacks and greys and muted browns have been my go-tos, no one wants to pair neon pink with a stuffy nose and water eyes (a handful of tissues are my new 'it' accessory).

February, though the shortest, tends to be the toughest month every winter, you're officially off the high of the holidays, it's bitter cold and brings us most of the snow for the entire winter season, and your ultimate goal is to merely survive till the 28th. Who has time to think up fun, colorful outfits when it's 7 degrees outside, am I right? Well, today I want to help you (and me!) with some inspiration on how to easily add color to your winter wardrobe. Enjoy the collages below and I hope it encourages you to throw on that neon pink, I know it did for me :)

1. ASOS knitted turban hat 2. Boohoo 'Emma' cable pompom beanie 3. ModCloth 'Ring of Sapphire' hat 4. Topshop two tone zigzag beanie 5. Uniqlo crochet hat 6. Echo turban hat 7. Rag & Bone 'Dunaway' felt hat

1. Acne 'Pistol Shorts' suede ankle boot 2. 2 Lips 'Too Coupe' wedge bootie 3. Charlotte Russe slouchy western ankle boot 4. Madison Harding 'Fran' booties 5. Diba 'Char Rity' ankle boot 6. Michael Antonio 'Marty' bootie

1. Coach Classics City Bag 2. Kate Spade New York Grove Court Large Maise 3. Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Natasha 4. Juicy Couture Frankie Crossbody 5. Tory Burch Robinson Mini Square Tote 6. 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli

1. ChicNova Roseo Oviod Coat 2. ModCloth Cloud & Clear Coat 3. Oasap Woolen Caped Style Coat 4. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Zipup Coat 5. Diane von Furstenberg Bernice Coat 6. SheInside Yellow Lapel Epaulet Coat

Thanks for reading!

Outfitted :: So Festive

Monday is here, January has come and gone, and I just realized my Spring semester has started which means a lot more late nights and early mornings are in my future. It was a snow filled weekend, so most of my time was spent at home. Even Super Bowl Sunday was celebrated in my pajamas, on my couch, with a plate of Thai delivery (all while making a mental note to get back to the gym on Monday after watching Beyonce's killer performance).

Vintage plaid blazer (similar from DV by Dolce Vita) / Pant One sweatshirt / H&M jeans / Steve Madden boots / Thrifted bag / Michael Kors watch

I wore this outfit for the few hours spent at work on Saturday. DCT believes this blazer makes me look like a game-show host, while a customer told me he thought I looked "so festive". I was just trying to keep it simple, but apparently I was making more of a statement than I anticipated.

I guess I can't complain about looking "festive" as DCT and I still have holiday lights up on our house and a wreath hanging from our door. I know, I know, it's February, but in our defense so does everyone else on our block. We're not sure if it's a neighborhood thing, but we've silently agreed to keep them up till everyone else takes their's down. I have a sneaky feeling they'll still be up come June.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend! Thanks for reading!

Boots Season

Steve Madden 'Gretell' lace up bootie (on clearance!)

Old Navy Faux-Animal Fur Ankle Boot (on sale for $25!)

Joie 'New Orleans' Boot

I know, I know, you're thinking 'Ashlei...we've been in boots season...heck, we're knee deep ready to get out of boots season'. And I totally get that. However, I have a serious obsession with boots (rightfully so due to where I live) and that obsession came out full force this past week. While most people are preparing to snatch up the new hot summer sandal, I'm digging through the sale rack of boots to see what I can add to my collection, which is already pretty expansive and according to DCT needs to be whittled down or at least out of his line of sight as it has kind of exploded all over our bedroom, and living room, and entry-way..... :] There's a little bit of spring cleaning on tap for this weekend. 

The three above are my newest acquisitions. Your classic lace-up (which I surprisingly didn't have before) with a small heel that'll be useful for slightly dressing up a more casual look. Leopard print booties, that I am so in love with, get ready to see these frequently on the blog. And finally a sort of impulse, yet totally had to have the moment I saw them, purchase - my Joie boots (originally $480, got them for $65! Ahh, sometimes I love my job, haha!). One part cowboy and another part swashbuckler-pirate, with just a touch of riding boot class, I will literally wear these till they come apart.

I hope you like my new friends, you'll be seeing them a lot ;) Thanks for reading and have a great weekend! Woo Friday!