New York winters can be bone chilling. And for this season, or at least to I’ve heard from many residents, this winter season has been the worst in a long time. So what does a southern girl like me do when the need to throw on a good crop top to hang out or go about the day? Layer up. Yes! Crop top season is year round for me as I love the short shirts and different variations of showing off the belly in a cute top. Luckily for me, not all crop tops are fit for the Spring and Summer. There are cut off sweat shirts, turtle necks, and even those made with thicker material to help keep me warm and allow me to get my crop top fix. Another way for me to stay warm in a crop is to layer up. Two crop tops in one, like my cut off hoodie. How to layer? Throw on a crop sweater to keep the look going and keep the cold and flu germs from creeping in. A night out on the town during the winter doesn’t mean you have to stay within the big sweater limits. That’s when I throw on a crop turtle neck number with a heavy coat to keep the cold air from seeping in. Yea there may be a breeze here and there but it’s worth the look…Well, to me it is! Sometimes, I allow my bottoms to make up for the bare skin space that my top doesn’t cover. A nice pair of high waist jeans, leggings, or pants can keep a crop look while blocking the cold. Accomplishing two missions in one! I’m glad that clothing designers understand the importance of my “Crop Top Season”. Creating styles fit for the cold. So never feel as if it’ too cold for a crop. Put it on, layer up, and enjoy the style! Comment Below. What's your fav Spring/Summer piece that you HAVE to wear in the Winter?The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey.
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Staying on Task. Going for your Dreams in the NYC Walking through Manhattan, busy streets, people moving quickly, buildings on top of buildings filled with art, business, beauty, fashion, and God only knows what else. Passing through places like Brooklyn and Queens admiring the murals, small businesses, and the various cultures who all had a hand in building these boroughs. Experiencing these wanders first-hand, how can you NOT get inspired to want something for yourself? We all know that NYC is a hustle city. You must hustle to survive financially, spiritually, and even emotionally during the MTA mishaps, awkward encounters with people, and the weather that will leave you shell shocked if you come from the south. The spirit of NYC ignites a fire within the dreamers who relocate here looking for more opportunities or to start over. I don’t see how anyone could move here just to be here. There’s always another door to knock on, and more pavement to pound. However, it doesn’t come easy. That’s where the hustle has to kick into over drive. Staying the course. Now, it is easy to come here and get caught up in the nightlife, people, and events. If you’re not careful, you can lose focus. This is why it is imperative to always have a reminder of why you came here in the first place. Enjoy the town but understand that while you're sleeping, out partying, or just getting taken away from the views, there are thousands more who are moving past you to get things done. Here’s a few tidbits I’ve picked up on how to stay focused within a city that has so much going on:
What do you do to stay focused? Comment below! The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. Learning to be more patient with myself. Getting here I wanted to hit the ground running. Book shoots/gigs for modeling, book auditions, get job interviews lined up, have an apartment ready, and just live like I’ve been here for years. But in changing locations (and costs of living areas), it takes time. I found out the hard way. I did well on the job front as I was able to do a few phone interviews from Georgia, that way once I was permanently in New York, I was already moving forward to the next process. With modeling, I was proactive in applying for various gigs that coincided with my relocation dates, a roof over my head was already in place prior to me leaving so that was done. Good job at me being proactive right?!? Well sort of… Visiting NYC and actually living here are two different things. It wasn’t as if I was on one of my Fashion Week trips where I could splurge, hangout, and return home to my normal life and job. I had to figure out how I was going to survive. And in that, I had to remind myself “Heffa, you are not on vacation, YOU LIVE HERE!” when I found myself over-indulging. New York is a constant hustle, which is one of the many reasons for me relocating here. So many opportunities to expand on what you’re already doing, while starting something new. However, if you’re not built for it, you can easily get lost in the shuffle which leaves you with an empty bank account and no direction as to what to do next. Even with my proactive tasks, I still found myself not gaining the necessities I wanted within MY timeline. I had hoped to line up a job, get connected with a talent agency and be established within the first month. Crazy right! I had interview after interview but no job. Meanwhile, I dealt with my GA money not living up to NY costs. On top of that, it was harder than I thought to join the crowd of thousands of other dreamers who come here to pursue modeling and acting. I had to become more competitive with my marketing materials. More time and money needed. I felt like I didn't even pack enough warm clothes for this 20 degree weather! When things didn’t go as planned, I felt like I was on my way to failure. Luckily, I had a close friend who constantly reminded me “Well you’ve only been there a month…you’re doing fine.” (Thanks Jazmyn!) It’s nice to have those reinforcements so that you don’t stay in your head feeling like you’ve made the wrong decision. So my advice to anyone dealing with a change of location or any type of change, GIVE YOURSELF TIME! It doesn’t all have to work out at one time. Break down your goals into steps and one by one cross them off your list. Not that you can’t work on multiple goals at once, just don’t get upset if it all doesn’t come to pass at the same time. Take every step that doesn’t work out as a lesson and come back stronger. It’ll be okay. Also, it’s pretty cool to find the fun in the journey to where you want to be. So I find a way to laugh at the times I get lost on the train and take the bad interviews as a BLESSING and a lesson (But I did land a good gig THANK YOU JESUS!!). I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, so I better make the best of it! Happy Adjusting! The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. “I ask myself what am I doing here?...” – Alessia Cara The Thoughts of Failing. My third night in New York, the fear started to set in. As I laid in bed, in the dark, I kept asking myself, “What am I doing?” “Why am I here?” I came up here with a plan, but…was it a SOLID plan. Given the history with some of my past “plans”, they tend to fail. I didn’t want to fail. I felt like failure was waiting right outside of my bedroom door, ready to greet me with his presence. The Fear of the Unknown. Throughout the process of planning and executing my “faith move”, my doubts were overshadowed by my excitement of FINALLY getting out of GA. But once the plane ride landed, the day of exploration was done, and reality settled in, fear popped up and said, “Hey girl, Hey!” With any new venture there’s always the “what ifs” and possibilities of falling straight on your ass. I was afraid that falling would send be running back home with my tail between my legs. Not that I care a lot about what others think, but I didn’t want to let myself down. The Talent Agency Meeting. In my journey of continuing modeling and pursuing acting, I’ve dealt with agencies here and there in Atlanta. It’s been rough but in order for me to reach my goals, I knew I needed a good machine behind me to help in my development and to keep me competitive in this new market. Booked a meeting with a talent agency, step one complete right? I thought I’d walk in, flash a smile and put on my southern charm as I explain what I’ve done (I do have a pretty good resume), in turn, they would tell me areas of improvement and how they could help me. WRONG! I’ve never felt so unprepared in my life! The questions flew at me like a flash of light. By the time I answered one, another was being thrown at me. Not being ready for the fast pace conversation made me feel like I’ve never even took an important meeting such as this before. I’ve been signed, I’ve taken meetings, and I’ve had opportunities afforded to me. So why was I acting like a beginner? As the meeting went on, I knew I was done for. The agent was not fond of my head shots, I had issues pulling up my previous work, and the monologue that I’d been reciting at my cubicle, in the car, and throughout my apartment in Marietta was not coming to me when I needed it to. Let’s just say I blew it. Walking out of the office, hearing the “We’ll let you know” phrase that really meant thank you for wasting my time, ringing in my head pulled my mood all the way down. So down that only a rum and coke with a call to my best friend would only help pick me up. But after the disappointment dust settled, I decided to take it as a learning opportunity. I’ve done great work and I can take what I had and use it to push me forward. One mistake I made was that I didn’t walk into that office with the confidence that I KNOW I have. I got into my head, got in my own way. It wasn’t Alexcina Brown, the model/actress in that office. It was plain old Elana “maybe I’m in the wrong place” Brown standing in front of him. With future meetings, I have to give myself a pep talk, rehearse my monologues that I KNOW I can deliver and walk into any office showing them that they need me on their roster. I appreciate my agency meeting bomb. It was just the practice and preparation I needed for the next big meeting. ….Stay Tuned. The New Outlook: I’m NOT Going Back Home. In this moment, I had two choices. Allow that fear to take over and run back to my comfort zone OR actually give myself a fair chance. In this fair chance, I took on the understanding that everything isn’t going to be perfect or even go my way from the start. But, in making the decision to take whatever comes my way with an open mind and an opportunity for growth. So here I am, sticking it out. It’s not easy, though the pictures and status updates may appear as me living my best life (don’t get me wrong I am living it up), everything isn’t peachy. Money doesn’t stretch as it did in GA, adjusting to the workings of a new city and its people can be frustrating. On top of that, the hustle of the city can eat you alive if you allow it. But in order to reach higher heights, you have to do what you’ve never done before. Tell me...What do you do to combat fear, when you're embarking on a new journey? The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. My New Obsession Just in Time for the Cold Weather! First and foremost, I’ll never turn my back on my crop tops because they are my first love! However, being a “New” New Yorker, I must pick up more stylish favs to stay warm and function in this upcoming cold season. Along with getting my faux furs on deck, my legs needed a lil extra attention as well. I was gifted these leg warmers the year before last for Christmas, and being that I was still in GA, they had a permanent place in my sock drawer. With the dropping temperatures above the Mason-Dixon Line, I needed to make sure the calves would have a more coverage with my leggings. Taking a stroll through Central Park with everything covered, I was able to enjoy a beautiful fall day; breathing in the crisp air. No complaining or leaving early due to being too cold. I love these leg warmers. I know they aren’t too popular as they were in the 80s but I’m going to need stores to get on these because I need an assortment of styles, patterns, and colors to wear for this NYC weather! If you see a cute pair, let me know! Drop the location in the comments!!! The Blakk Dahlia (E. Alexcina Brown) is a New York City author/blogger from Macon, GA. Recently, she released the book series, the Heartbreak Diaries outlining different perspectives of heartbreak. The Dahlia Diaries is a lifestyle blog penned by The Blakk Dahlia, sharing her story in NYC along with life lessons and tips she's learned in her journey. |
"I LOVE to write and create. These are the diaries of how I work and deal in my world of writing and LIFE!"
- The Blakk Dahlia from the Heartbreak Diaries Book Series
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