The Right Style

TRS, Welcome to New York!

Don’t be mad at me, please. TRS fam, I KNOW that I have abandoned you this summer. Before you swear me off forever, I promise I have a good reason: I MOVED! Yup, your girl packed her bags and crammed her copious amount of stuff into her car and drove up north. I spent the early part of the summer hanging out in New Jersey, safe and well taken care of thanks to some amazing family friends. It wasn’t long before I started to get the itch to get on the road again and finally head to my intended destination– ladies and gentleman, your girl is a New Yorker now!

I’m living in Brooklyn and figuring life out. I can’t say I’m quite at my destination yet but I have done some pretty interesting things along the way:

1. was invited to The Color Purple’s Tony Awards Watch Party! I met Oprah.

oprah
Yes, that is gum in my mouth. Yes, I am screaming. (I wasn’t the only one acting brand new. I swear!)

2. I alsooooo met Dannielle Brooks aka Taystee from “Orange is the New Black”

img_6196
This is a terrible picture of me and a beautiful picture of her. Such is life. I posted it anyway.

3. I made it into an “Improv Everywhere” flash mob video!!


One moment I was straight chilling in Bryant Park and the next, I was on stage clapping it up with 100 random people in the park.

4. I’ve been working on my other blog, Selfies and Snark.

I haven’t given up on writing, my fine friends. Not even a little bit.

That’s just a taste my friends. Tell me, what have you been up to?

My Resolutions For 2016. Let’s Do This!

I’m definitely into making resolutions. What I have not been quite so into is keeping resolutions. But you know how when you write your goals down you’re more likely to achieve them? I figured this principle would work even better if I committed these resolutions to video. You see it here first, folks. This year I’m serious. 

Most of my goals this year are biz related which is a-ok because  in the legendary words of one Shawn Carter, “I’m a business, man!”

The Resolutionz

  1. I’m doing the YouTube thang! I know, I have videos on my channel already. I know, people have actually said to me, ” Oh, you should do more videos!” But somehow those words always fell on deaf ears for me. Changing that now.
  2. I launched a t-shirt line! The idea for Brown Girl Gorgeous literally just came to me in the middle of the night. I researched, designed and launched my site all at once and I couldn’t be happier. This is the year that I turn Brown Girl Gorgeous in a movement for ALL of us! Take a look at the shop: therightstyle.com/store
  3. It’s time to stop, collaborate and listen. I’m trying to make life a little less of a solo affair.

I have so many things swirling through my brain and this is the way I’m letting you know what I’m putting down. Tell me friends…Do you make resolutions? How do you make sure that you follow through?

Mother’s Day: Not Just Once A Year

Mother’s Day was officially 2 Sundays ago but do you know what? I don’t care. My mother, Kyle, who I’ve told you about before, is MY GIRL and deserves more than one day. Besides, I’m just getting over being deathly ill and she was out of town– because that’s what badass mothers of grown children do.

My sister, Kendra and I have a hilarious relationship with our mother. She is, without a doubt, the boss of our family and according to my sister, the ambassador of a lifestyle and a forthcoming book, called Growing Up Grinnage. 

My mother, my statuesque "little" sister, Kendra and me at Disney World, circa 2003.

My mother, my statuesque “little” sister, Kendra and me at Disney World, circa 2003.

Kendra is a hilarious writer and the following is part of an extraordinary speech she made at a Mother/Daughter tea. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

View Post

Facing Freedom

I have always, for as long as I can remember, been bothered by my face. When I was young, elementary school-aged, my chin was the problem. It was little and pointy and I always felt that it looked like an afterthought, like I had been rolling around in the womb and going through the pre-birth checklist, “Head: lips, eyes, ears, nose….oh wait…CHIN!” and then it appeared, popped on at the very last minute.

I became aware of the crookedness of my teeth since age nine and soon after, stopped smiling with my mouth open until I got the ultimate suburban accessory– braces. Years later, my teeth came back to haunt me in the form of a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fall 1996 brochure. I remember my classmates coming screaming into the cafeteria, waving orange and purple letter-sized pamphlets. “Kerri!! Kerrrrrriiiiiiii! Is this youuuuuuuuu?!!!” And it was. On the cover, I’m talking the entire cover, was 8 year old me, teeth-besnaggled and on full display. At the sensitive age of 11, this was the ultimate humiliation.

I grew into my face and my teeth, assisted by nearly 5 years of braces, straightened themselves out. I battled acne all through my teenage years and ran a constant battle with the blemishes and hyper-pigmentation that that acne left behind. I, fortunately, had great skincare and boy, did I have makeup. Makeup helped me to FINALLY feel pretty. I was never one to glop it on but it did have a certain placebo effect for me. I had a good face underneath it all but with my magical makeup, I could banish the dark circles that had always plagued me, I could give myself some eyebrows (any shape I wanted!) and I could make people believe that I was beautiful.

But recently, I spent some time with a friend who has known and seen me in nearly every state imaginable, from pukey ill to black-tie ready. I hadn’t put my makeup on yet and he said unprompted, “You know, you’re not really one of those girls who needs makeup. I don’t mind it, but you look pretty good already.”

That struck me. So last week, I went to work without makeup. Intentionally. I was fully dressed and about to do my face and then, I stopped. I looked at myself in the mirror. Really looked. My skin was soft and smooth. I’d started using BeautiControl’s new Instant Radiance Beauty Balm (full review forthcoming) so my skin was actually kind of glowing. I was there and that was me and I was happy and healthy. I looked at myself in the mirror and I finally felt alright.

Kerri, 4 years old.

Four year old me, the thumb sucking Olympian.

Kerri, The Clents and Kendra

My godfather, Clenton, having a DC day with, from left, 10 year old me, my godbrother “Little” Clent, and my sister Kendra.

No makeup.

Me at 29. No makeup, no filter, no editing and apparently, no earrings.

 

Do the Damn Dream

It’s Saturday and it could be used as a day for pure maxing and relaxing. That’s what I usually do. Kerri is nothing if she is not relaxed. But today, I will work! Fortunately, I can do the kind of work that allows me to write and draw and be creative so it’s not SO much of a sacrifice. But seriously, I’ve got things to do and money to make and love to share and a dream to MAKE HAPPEN.

Don't you dare give up your dream.

Don’t you do it!

So take this graphic, post it on your bathroom mirror, put on your favorite face masque (Tierra Azul Thermal Fango, FTW), listen to your jammiest jams (or mine) and work on you!

What’s your dream? How are you going to put it in action today? Let me know in the comments!