Brandi Kimberly Style

October 17, 2017

Getting to Know Kimberly Higgins

Getting to know Kimberly Higgins

Some of you may know the beautiful Kimberly Higgins as the fashionista who loves to save and thrift shops. She graces us with her style on our news feeds and invokes inspiration to many who follow her.

Today, I am collaborating with Kimberly in a campaign called Bridging the Gap. You can read her blog here! Two fashionistas from two different eras come together and get to know each other. I decided to interview Kimberly by asking 10 questions about herself.

Questions for Kimberly Higgins

1. What year did you graduate high school?

Kimberly: 1980

2. Have you always been interested in fashion?

Kimberly: I have. My mom was really into fashion and was always well dressed. I think I loved fashion from an early age because of her.

3. Were you fashionable 10 years ago?

Kimberly: 10 years ago, probably not. My children were 12 and 17 and I was busy with those “teenage” years.

4. Who is your fashion icon?

Kimberly: Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Princess Kate

5. When did you first notice fashion?

Kimberly: probably at a very young age cause of my Mom. My Mom always got dressed up even if it was just to go to the grocery store.

6. How would you describe your personal style?

Kimberly: classic look and needs to be comfortable

7. What is your favorite time of year for fashion?

Kimberly: FALL! love the boots/scarves/hats

8. Do your children have a love for fashion too?

Kimberly: Yes, both my girls went to college for fashion. My oldest was a fashion merchandising major at Philadelphia University and my youngest recently graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NY.

9. Choose an era to live a life of fashion in, which era would you dress up in?

Kimberly: 1950’s Love the fully billowy skirts with the more defined waistlines. Love pencil skirts and swing skirts. More hats were worn then.

10. What was your go-to fashion item 10 years ago, what is your go-to fashion item now?

Kimberly: Pearls and probably pearls now. Back then, I can go with about anything. A dressy dress or a simple tee.

Similarities

After this short interview with Kimberly, I’ve learned that we have some similarities like Audrey Hepburn and Kate Middleton being our fashion Icon. 10 years ago I was not as fashionable as I am today because I couldn’t afford much however I did buy inexpensive sparkly dresses to go out in. I also loved the 1950’s era for the skirts and hats but I also love the 1920’s era for glamour and their fancy dresses and hats.

All and All it was really fun getting to know Kimberly a little better. She was one of the first fashionistas who followed me and made a huge influence on me in the Instagram fashion world, I am glad I know her.

P.S.

Sorry I have been IMA with all my blog posts and I apologize for that. I have seriously been wrapped up with a ton of stuff I need to do for my job. Hopefully, I will be back into the swing of things soon. Miss you guys! Read my other collaboration with Kristin here!

Xoxo

September 3, 2017

Olive Green Tunic for $27.90 + Exciting Life Update

Olive Green Tunic

Happy Monday everyone, Isn’t this Olive Green Tunic darling?! I love that fall is almost here!! The mornings are starting to cool off and harvest décor is trickling into stores.

Believe it or not, this Lush Olive Green Tunic is only $27.90, it comes in 4 different colors and I am OBSESSED! You can wear this tunic with shorts or a pair of distressed jeans. It is a great fall staple for your wardrobe. Let’s not forget this darling Leopard bag! I got this bag at the Red Dress Boutique and I’ve seen this bag restocked a few times already. Unfortunately, this leopard print bag is not in stock but I linked a very similar leopard bag by B.P for only $45.00!

Life Update

On another note, you are looking at the new Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army!! Every year I make a list of goals like I mentioned HERE!

Some of those Goals include:

Graduating with my BA in Business &

Completing (ALC)- Advance Leaders Course- This leads to my promotion.

Of course, making Staff Sergeant this year was on my list! After I completed ALC at the end of April, I had to play the waiting game to make points! I honestly became discouraged after I did not make the list in August but I knew it had to happen this year. After 4 months of waiting, I finally achieved my goal and I have God to thank for my blessings.

I love setting goals! What are some of your personal goals? How close are you to accomplishing them? Good luck to everyone with all your endeavors!

xoxo

September 2, 2017

Herringbone Vest

Herringbone Vest from JCrew

Happy Weekend! September is here and I am showing some more fall trends by introducing this herringbone vest! I am in love so expect to see this vest all season long! I simply adore the herringbone pattern; it’s such a classic look! This vest is versatile which means you can wear this vest with so many different outfits. It is definitely a staple and a fall must-have!

Another reason why I adore this vest so much is because it has cute little pockets that I can use! It is also very cozy and it will keep me warm. Vests are so stylish!

Life Update

It is yet another crazy week for me! I got promoted on Thursday! I am the new SSG in the U.S. Army!!! Now that I have made it this far, I must complete some Army online training so I can quickly request to get the next phase of my career out of the way before my first look at promotion in two years!

I am also reading a recommended book from one of my favorite bloggers- Catlin from Southern Curls and Pearls. The book is called “The life-changing magic of tidying up” by Marie kondo. I will let you know how I like it once I am done reading it!

If you guys have anything you would like me to blog about please comment below. What would you guys like to see more of? I would love to hear all of your suggestions.

xoxo

August 26, 2017

My Review on ThredUp

ThredUp

Today’s blog post is going to be a review on ThredUp! Have you ever heard of this cool thrift shop? It is the largest online consignment and thrift store!!! I am going to talk about how I came across this online shop and my personal experience with it.

To be perfectly honest, thrift shopping was never my thing however; lately, I’ve seen the benefits of thrift shopping. You can find some really good stuff and save!

The first time I heard about ThredUp was through one of my blogger friends- Kristin over at Countdown to Friday! You can read her review right HERE! I seriously thought about trying it out because she found a really good coat. I love wearing coats but they can be so pricey!

What I Choose From ThredUP

Another one of my fashionista friends- Lindsay @short_sweet_petite put in a word for me with ThredUp and they contacted me! I was excited about this opportunity to collaborate with them! The collaboration I am doing with them is for the August ThredUp Insta-gals and it is all about color! I choose this bright red skirt! I’m all about bright colors for Summer! Also, I choose this color because it is said to be the color for Fall 2017. As you can see I am torn between summer and fall trends, haha! This Red Skirt is from JCrew and I bought it (New with Tags). The second item I choose was this Dark Grey Plaid Skirt that pairs well with my new BP blush cozy sweater, perfect combo. I also bought this skirt (New with Tags).

How I Shopped The ThredUP website

Items: I looked for Coats, Skirts, and Bags.

I think these are the best items to look for when shopping at a thrift store. Always check back because their stuff is always updating.

Name Brands: JCREW, GUCCI, Kate spade, Banana Republic

These are just a few that I hunt for. I love searching for Name Brand items because you can find some really great deals on a quality product. You can even request to get an email sent to you when new items come in of your desired brand.

Quality of the Item:

I always pay close attention to the quality of the used items that I am purchasing. particularly, I love it more if I can find items that are “New with Tags” you can even do a search for all items they have that are “New with Tags.”

Let me suggest for you be on the lookout for Promotions from ThredUP. They will send you emails with any discounts and discount codes.

Receiving my Purchase

When I got my package in the mail, I was quite impressed with their cute packaging. The two skirts that I picked out are in great condition and I am going to be rocking them all through the fall season! I will definitely shop ThredUp again for coats when winter hits!

Have you shopped ThredUP before? Tell me your experience, or your hacks and tricks to find great items!

xoxo

August 23, 2017

The Truth Behind Blogging

Understanding The Truth Behind Blogging

I did not know what I was getting myself into when I decided that I wanted to start a blog. This was over 2 years ago. Was I going to run my blog like a business and monetize or was this just a creative outlet? I did not make that hard decision right away. Honestly, in the beginning, I was a little bit scared to try to monetize.

After a year of blogging, I decided I wanted to start monetizing as a blogger and I really wish I had made that decision from the very beginning. A blogger’s life is not easy and I could have used that year to learn everything I needed to know… here is why:

Disclaimer

This blog post is simply free advice and it’s an opportunity to share my journey in becoming a Fashion Blogger. My intent is to inspire new bloggers to work towards their goals by sharing my success and my mistakes.

This post is a continuation of my blog post ‘Fashion Blogging For Beginners: The Mistakes I Made Starting My Fashion Blog.’

I would also like to point out this is the last of this series of blogs but don’t worry, I will have updates and more blogging tips coming your way!

Blogging Truths

1. Monetizing a blog is like having a second job to me, personally! When my current career has me busy and tired by the end of the week, I have writing and content building during the weekend to think about.

2. It is hard to make money as a blogger even with reward Style. When I first heard of the program I thought it would be the answer to all of my monetizing dreams but it is a lot harder than people make it seem. It appears that these days every blogger around me has reward Style so getting a sale through them probably will not happen. There are strategies to overcome this huddle but you must be 100% commented.

3. To monetize a blog calls for a lot of invested time. Posting consistently is very important. This means you need to build content constantly to meet those deadlines. It is important to set time aside and pick the right topics to write about, take photos, post, engage with followers and other bloggers. It can become so wearing.

4. When I have worked so hard on content and I post it for the world to see, there are times of disappointment where I get no engagement. It happens, some topics capture an audience and some topics don’t.

More Truths!

Engage, engage, engage! I have stated this already but it is so important to set aside time to engage so that people notice you and will stop in and see your content. If you do not engage or use the right SEO blog post outline and write about topics people are looking for, blogging will not get easy.

By providing convenient payment options, businesses can enhance the customer experience and build customer loyalty. Access customizable solutions to meet the unique needs of your small business from the Top 20 Merchant Services for small business.

I am certainly not trying to discourage new bloggers to start their adventure with this negative feedback. Please don’t get me wrong, I love blogging and I am not giving it up any time soon. I just wanted to share with you my experiences and I hope this helps you build a better strategic plan than I did.

Currently Wearing

How cute is this look?! I am in loooooove with this Halogen Vest! This Long vest is a One Size fits all and it comes in 4 different colors. It is really great quality and it deems a classic look for work and school.

Vest One Size Fits All// Shop Here

Bag Tory Burch// Get it Here

Top (M)// Similar

Skirt (10)// I sized up because the website suggested it but a size 8 would have been perfect Shop Here!

Exciting News!!!

Today I found out that I will be promoted to Staff Sergeant next month!!! It’s been a long time coming but I am glad it is finally happening!!

What are some of your struggles with blogging? Don’t forget to enter the giveaway I am hosting this week! It all ends Thursday at 11 PM!

xoxo

August 20, 2017

My Closet Giveaway

Hosting a Small Closet Giveaway

Hello, Darlings! This week I am hosting a small Closet Giveaway for my followers as a “Thank you for following me!” Hosting this giveaway is going to be a fun way to connect and get to know my FOLLOWERS! Join me as I purge that closet of mine! I seriously have so much stuff and not enough space for it. Basically, I have clothes that I’ve worn only a few times, I would like to give it a new home and they are still in great condition. I gave it some thought on how I want to conduct this giveaway and how I can get the most engagement with the intent of getting to know my actual followers; not the bots or lurkers. I’m giving away three items for now. I really want to see how this goes first and then I may do another giveaway in a couple of weeks.

About The Three Items

Item #1: Circle Skirt- from Modcloth! The tag says Large, however, it fits a waist size of 28-29 so its fits like a Medium. I have only worn this light olive color skirt twice for a couple of blog photoshoots. I love the skirt! It is great for any time of the year but best for spring, winter, and fall.

Item #2: Infinity Leopard Scarf- it’s warm and cozy but I have recently bought a new one so I have no need for this one. I have only worn this leopard scarf a few times as well.

Item #3: This clutch is from Express and I’ve used it a few times so it is in great condition. It would be great for cocktail parties, New Year’s Eve, or just when you feel like dressing up your outfit a bit.

Sorry Bug is not included, haha!

Let’s Play!

Here are the rules:

Instagram

1. You must be following my IG account @cutebrandik, if you want me to follow you back DM me!

2. Like my Closet Giveaway Post on IG! (It will have rules for entry and the picture of the 3 items as seen above)

3. Comment on that Closet Giveaway Post by telling me something about yourself! I want to get to know you so, share anything + Tag 1 Friend!

On The Blog

4. Comment on this blog post, leave your website if you want me to comment back!

5. Comment on at least one more blog post of your choice!

NOW YOU ARE ENTERED

Must be 18 years or older to play. This giveaway is only open to the U.S. and Canada. I need to be able to see your IG profile for you to win. NO FAKE ACCOUNTS ARE ALLOWED! This giveaway will close at 11 PM on THURSDAY!

Friday night, I will do a live IG story to show you each entrée and put their names in a hat. I will draw one name on my live feed.

I will DM the winner to congratulate and find out where to send out the prizes! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Give me some feedback and let me know if you guys like this kind of giveaway. I really hope you enjoy it as I am trying to give back to you guys for being so amazing!

The Leopard Scarf

The Hand Bag from Express

The Circle Skirt

xoxo

Getting to know Kimberly Higgins

Questions for Kimberly Higgins

1. What year did you graduate high school?

2. Have you always been interested in fashion?

3. Were you fashionable 10 years ago?

4. Who is your fashion icon?

5. When did you first notice fashion?

6. How would you describe your personal style?

7. What is your favorite time of year for fashion?

8. Do your children have a love for fashion too?

9. Choose an era to live a life of fashion in, which era would you dress up in?

10. What was your go-to fashion item 10 years ago, what is your go-to fashion item now?

Similarities

P.S.

Olive Green Tunic

Life Update

Herringbone Vest from JCrew

Life Update

ThredUp

What I Choose From ThredUP

How I Shopped The ThredUP website

Receiving my Purchase

Disclaimer

Blogging Truths

More Truths!

Currently Wearing

Hosting a Small Closet Giveaway

About The Three Items

Let’s Play!

NOW YOU ARE ENTERED

Follow Me