Real Life Style Icon: Rocquelle of 'Consider Me Lovely'

This is one of many Real Life Style Icon interviews, in which we talk to funny, smart, painfully cute ladies who we all want to befriend. And then steal their clothes.

Name: Rocquelle Porch
Age: 26 
Location:Houston, TX
Online haunts: blog // twitter

Three reasons that you're awesome:  
God made me, I'm very comfortable in my own skin and I live in life's positivity

What are you wearing right now, as you type this?
Dark flared jeans, a peach and coral striped t-shirt, and gold vintage earrings

What is the last item of clothing you bought? 
Do shoes count as clothing?  Because I just ordered sequin pumps from Amazon instead of hitting the Black Friday sales! 

What is the item of clothing you most covet at the moment?  
A faux fox fur jacket from ASOS, as though it will get (or stay) cold enough for that in Houston!

Tell us about a favorite childhood memory about your clothes.  
I don't really have one particular favorite memory about my clothes growing up, as I have always been a girlie girl obsessed with clothes and outfits.  However, I recall being consumed with those plastic Barbie heels with the feathers that they sell on the toy aisle, and I would prance around my granny's house in them all Summer long, especially when her friends came over (my hips would twist a bit more when they came) in their cute dresses for coffee and soap opera watching :-).

What is your best thrifting score?

It wasn't mine, but it was for me.  My best friend found a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo pants for me while out thrifting in Atlanta, that I simply adore! My favorite personal thrifted find was a pair of teal midi length culottes; they are so perfect for color blocking!

Could you share your top three style tricks/DIYs?

1. A belt works wonders on any outfit.

2. Every outfit should have at least two colors.  It makes life and dressing more interesting!

3. DIY manis can be your best accessory.  I polish my nails once, maybe twice, a week, and even when I through on jeans and a t-shirt to go grocery shopping, my nails help make my look special!

Thanks for stopping by, Racquelle!

My New Online Home

Hooray!  After 10 months of self-employment, I've finally upgraded from my homemade, Blogger-hosted portfolio to something a little splashier.  The very, very talented Kim Lawler created a fantastic online home that works with my aesthetic and has just the right number of bells and whistles - rotating testimonials!  animated menu bar!

I'm totally, totally thrilled with the results.  Pop over and have a dig through my offerings or just check out Kim's handiwork!

Louisiana, Ahoy!

Friends! This time it is I who need your travel advice.

Next month, I'm packing up my tiny car and heading down to Lafayette, Louisiana for four weeks of fun with an old friend from college.  She's an actual, proper Cajan and a writer like me, so I'm imaging all sorts of movie-caliber hijinks when we attend Mardi Gras and drink really dark coffee and write on her porch.  Overlooking the bayou.  (Okay, that last part is a lie and won't actually be happening.)

I've been to Lafayette before and loved the sweet bejesus out of it, so I can't wait to get back and eat my weight in hush puppies and cheesy grits.

So my question for you: what are the can't-miss places/experiences/non-meat foods of Louisiana?  Help a girl out!

The Internet Is My Religion. Also: February Ad Space

pdf2011 on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free

Discuss.

And when you're done discussing that - I'd like to discuss February ad space with you!

Sponsorships are available in one, two and three month packages with pricing discounts at two and three months. All 150x150 sponsors will be included in the mid-month sponsor introduction post and three month sponsors have the option of a giveaway, if they're interested.

Some facts about Yes and Yes?

Daily unique visitors: 3,200 - 3,500 a day

Page views: 150,000+ per month

Twitter followers: 2,580+

Facebook fans: 1,600+

Blogspot followers: 2,550+
Google Page Rank: 4
Google reader subscribers: 5,440+

Some of the nice things that previous sponsors have said about Yes and Yes?

Advertising with Sarah on Yes and Yes is one of the biggest ways to draw attention to your blog. As soon as my ad went up on her site, I noticed that I was receiving almost 200% more views each day! And Sarah does a great job writing posts throughout the month with links to your blog for extra attention. Advertising with Yes and Yes is a no brainer! - Tara, Deer in a Bottle

Advertising on Yes and Yes was such an awesome investment!  As a blogging n00b, it's been great to see several huge spikes in traffic, growth in my readership, and a bunch of new subscribers and Twitter followers.   Not to mention, Sarah is totally rad to work with.  I highly recommend grabbing a spot on her site! - Emily, Awesomania

Interested?  Drop me a line at sarah (at) yesandyes (dot) org and we'll get you sorted!

33 New Things: Do A Polar Plunge

Every year I make a list of new things I want to try and do. Some of those things are challenging, some are shockingly mundane. You can check out previous shenanigans here.

In case you were wondering how to impress/terrify everyone at a New Year's Eve party, your answer is this:

Tell them you're going to jump into a frozen lake at 9:00 am the next morning.

All the men will inadvertently clutch their nether regions and the women will probably narrow their eyes at your over their beer.

But here's the thing, you guys:  It's not really that bad or hard or scary.

There is no talent or fitness required (you just fall/jump into about eight feet of water), you duck under a rope and swim about 20 feet. You climb up a slippery ladder, you're cold and then you're inside and totally warmed up within about a minute and a half.

But it's fun! And you feel totally invigorated!  And allofasudden you're more brave and interesting than you were an hour before!  It's the easiest shortcut to awesome that I've found recently.  I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Have any of you done a polar plunge?  Would you?

How To Fire A Bad Friend

This guest post comes to us via the lovely and talented Medicinal Marzipan.  She writes about body, beauty and self love on the regular.  Pop over and say hello!

Letting go of friendships is never, ever easy.  And this is something that can be a problem, especially if you are a people-pleaser like me.  There was a time in my life where I was so timid and socially anxious that my friend choices were, perhaps, not what they should have been.

Regardless!  The reality is this: You have to put yourself first. You probably have scores of awesome friends, great co-workers, perhaps an awesome girlfriend/boyfriend/occasional “friend”, family of some sorts, and by piecing all of those together you can create a pretty phenomenal support network. However, when you have someone in your life who is a constant drain of energy, who is more interested in who they think you are than who you want to be, and who you find yourself spending more time on than you have to spend on yourself – You need to make a change.

Signs That A Relationship That May Have Run Its Course:

• Have you evolved? Are your interests different, and the things that excited you changing? Is there someone in your life who refuses to accept it, or makes fun of you for your new behavior?
• Do you feel like you are exerting far more effort into your relationship than someone else is? Is this causing you undue stress?
• Do you hang out with someone just because you feel badly for them, even though you aren’t really friends? Does your guilt make you feel like you have to go out of your way for this person, even though you don’t like them?
• Are you friends with someone just because you are somehow benefitted by their friendship? Ie. they have things that you want, or get you tickets to all the best shows, or invites to the coolest parties, but you don’t really like them for who they are?
• Does your friend make you feel badly about yourself?
  
  How to Nicely (But Firmly) Walk Away From A Relationship That No Longer Serves You:

• Make sure that this is really what you want. Are you in a slump? Does everything look bad right now – not just your friendships? Have you talked to this friend, brought their behavior to light, or told them that you’re unhappy? Yes? It hasn’t worked? Proceed to the next point.
• Be honest. You are awesome and strong and worth loving, right? Right. You need to act that way, and stand up for yourself if a relationship is no longer working for you. Now: being honest can be the absolute hardest thing possible, but this is a difficult subject and making excuses will not help you in the long run.
• Be nice. Presumably you loved this person at one point in your life – for whatever reason. Even if they are torturing you within an inch of your life now, likely they don’t even know that you’re doing it, so be NICE when you are honestly breaking up with them.
• Be real – with yourself. Make sure that it is your friend that is toxic and that they are not just mirroring your toxicity back to you. If its not them, and it is in fact you – you’re reading the wrong post. Learn how to love yourself and become  the most amazing person in the room.
• Consider taking a break, and not going for the whole enchilada break up. Maybe you just need some space to breathe and reassess your relationship.

Now, I am all about finding awesome friends and building amazing relationships. This advice is purely for people whom you’ve outgrown and are making your life sad/negative/hard/painful.  You're worth the very best!

Is this a problem in your life? How do you deal with it? Do you have any tips for walking away from these types of friendships?

True Story: I Immigrated To America - And Then Moved Back To My Home Country

This is one of many True Story interviews in which we talk to people who have experienced interesting/amazing/challenging things.  This is the story of Poly and her time in America as an undocumented immigrant and her decision to move back to Brazil.

Tell us a bit about yourself! 
I was born in Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais. The city’s known for international hang gliding competitions and “exporting” Brazilians to far off countries. After close to 20 years in the U.S., I moved to São Paulo, where I work as a Search Engine Marketing Consultant. I’m also working on an MBA here, and when I have time, I like to travel all over, jog, blog, dance, work it at pilates, and discover São Paulo bars with my friends! Oh, and I’m 25.

How old were you when your family immigrated to America?
I was two years old. My parents went after the “American Dream,” so to speak.
When my parents found out they were pregnant with me, my mother was finishing up school and my dad was working a very low wage job. The opportunity came along to go to the US to live with my mom’s brother who was working there at the time.

When my mother and I went though, the “visa,” we had gotten was stolen. Determined, we ended up flying to Mexico and crossed the border illegally and my father with his visa, legally. Today I joke about it with my friends, but I’m sure it was terrifying for my mother to cross with complete strangers and a two year old.

Growing up in America, did you ever feel out of place?
I guess I never completely felt out of place. I did grow up in a very wealthy part of the US though, in Fairfield County, Connecticut and attended prep school for high school. My parents worked blue collar jobs my whole life, so I would feel left out more socio-economically than culturally for the most part.

While most kids traveled over the summer breaks, I would go to work with my mom (who’s in the cleaning business) and spend my summer reading on her client’s porches and living rooms. I felt most out of place when it came to things like getting a drivers’ license, applying to college, traveling abroad and getting jobs and internships. I was never able to do any of that and had to keep making excuses for why I couldn’t without revealing that it was because I didn’t have a green card.

How frequently did you visit Brazil when you were living in America?  How did you family maintain their Brazilian culture while living in America?
Since our family was undocumented and risked not returning had we left the US, I didn’t visit Brazil at all. When I was 11, my dad applied for his green card through an employer and was denied. In my senior year of high school, he was 'grandfathered' in through the same law and applied through another employer. I was “safe,” under this application.

Despite never being back, I was a lot more Brazilian than American. The Brazilian community also grew significantly in my town, so there were a lot of us at school and church. We went to a Brazilian church and we spent a lot of time at the community center. We watched Brazilian TV, I would go to Brazilian concerts, perform dances at all sorts of events, and World Cups were sooo much fun (’94 and ’02, what?!). When I got to Brazil, people couldn’t believe I spoke Portuguese without a “gringo” accent and knew how to samba!

When did you start to consider moving back to Brazil?
When graduating from college, I tried applying to a number of jobs and was recruited by top organizations... until they would discover I was undocumented. I did land a non-paid summer internship in DC at a think tank post graduation though, so I decided to take that and buy some time. There I learned about how Brazil was growing and a good place to be at the moment and decided to “come home.” I discussed this with my parents, and a few months after being in Connecticut, I bought my plane ticket (although my mother refused to believe it for a while). I saved up some money working under the table at a restaurant and came to Brazil in February 2008, and after briefly visiting family in my hometown, settled in São Paulo.

Was readjusting to life in Brazil challenging at all? 
It was easier than I thought it would be! Fortunately, my Portuguese was good enough to get through job interviews pretty well and I landed a job teaching English as soon as I got here. I quickly made it to a digital advertising agency through a student’s referral. I’m pretty out-going, so making friends wasn’t too tough and I couldn’t ask for better ones! What was most difficult was adjusting to all the bureaucracy of every little thing here and also the insanely high prices. I still order loads of clothes and electronics to my parents’ house because everything’s so expensive here!

Do you ever miss America?
I don’t miss it as much as I thought I would. I do miss my family and friends miserably! I also miss little things. Just tonight I was telling my roommate about Olive Garden breadsticks! But this was also over fresh black bean soup we’d just made & homemade papaya & coconut paste with fresh cheese from Minas for dessert... so I guess there’s a balance amongst the little things?  

What advice would you give to someone else who feels out of place where they live?
My biggest advice is surrounding yourself with people you trust who you can vent to and cry with. Having good friends to talk to who I can relate to has always been a great way for me to keep my sanity and not go around pessimistic about everything. And also, always be positive and try to see things in a good light. I’m you’re average “Pollyanna,” and think this was all really just meant to be!

Any questions for Pollyanna?  Have any of you ever considered permanently relocating to another country? 

Web Time Wasters

The Future Belongs to the Curious from Skillshare on Vimeo.

How was your week, guys?  I (finally!) watched The Fantastic Mr. Fox, coached a  friend on launching his website and took myself on a mini-road trip to cure a bit of cabin fever.

Enough about me!  Links!

Tattoos based on children's books.

It's not too late for some beauty resolutions for 2012! (I'll be working on numbers 3 and 4)

You know what will make you happy on an overcast day in January?  A mixtape of awesome funk music.

This is a variation on my daily uniform.  (except I'm usually wearing Adidas shelltoes)

I love this house tour.  So colorful and joyful!

This poem is lovely.

I'm spending six weeks in Louisiana this winter and I'm just generally obsessed/intrigued by the deep south.  Even more so since reading about Edwin Edwards.
He might have been shady, but he was fun. Famously, when he beat Duke, one of his bumper stickers said, "Vote for the Crook: It's Important." He also authored the two greatest quotes in the history of American politics:

1. (On an opponent) "The only way I'm losing is if I get caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

2. (On David Duke) "We're both wizards in the sheets."

Things you need in order to stay happy.  Yup, true.

Hand-painted shoes?  Yes, please!

More about my never-ending obsession with Russia.  Photos inside weird Russian prisons.  (Why are there children there?  And why is there patterned wallpaper?)

The reality of traveling in Asia with a white baby.  (Or when you're blond.  Or tall.)

How to lead a creative life.

Why everyone else's Facebook photos of you are the worst.

I wrote about getting over post-trip blues on Boots N' All travel.

What to do if you drank too much to drink and flashed your bits around town.

This is a great read about changing your name when you get married.
My maiden name is far less common and I was somewhat conflicted about becoming a Smith for the simple reason that it's just so simple. The many incredible and strong women in my own family were not shy about letting me know they thought I should keep my own name.Their point was that it's an antiquated custom and that I am my own person and shouldn't change my name for anyone. I still chose to take the Smith amongst some very loud opposition.

I've been to NYC three times and never seen the Empire State building.  I actively chose not to visit The Acropolis.  So, I hate sightseeing, too.

I'll be making this satay tofu sandwich recipe every day for the next three months, thankyouverymuch.

What links did you love this week?

Gambia! Decluttering! Waking up happy!

Look at all these awesome links to paw through and friends to make! Have a dig through some of the best-ofs from this month's sponsors.

Fave posts:

How to save money on holiday // 5 great things to do in Gambia //

10 reasons I love Dubai

Let's be friends!

twitter // facebook

Fave posts:
How to get through transitions // The Declaration: a poem // Decluttering
Let's be friends!

pinterest // twitter // tumblr

Fave posts:
How to wake up hating the world a little bit less // Birds in Fox Dens Vintage //
Introvert? More like intro-jerk
Let's be friends!

facebook // twitter // etsy

Fave things:
Personalized photo collage // blank greeting cards // fruit of the spirit

Let's be friends!

blog // twitter // facebook // etsy // pinterest

Fave posts:

Make your life amazing // 7 ways to celebrate yourself daily //

Ambitious happiness

Let's be friends!

twitter // facebook // bloglovin'

Fave posts:
How to be skinny // How to have an amazing relationship (with yourself) //

Unconventional people, unusual lives

Let's be friends:

tumblr // twitter // flickr // facebook

Fave posts:
Things I learned from climbing a mountain // You are enough //

The catapult session
Let's be friends!
twitter // facebook // etsy

Fave things:

Dictionary bunting // Chocolate cupcake bookmark//

Alphabet pillow

Let's be friends!

etsy // facebook

Want to introduce your blog/shop/website to almost 10,000 people?  My ad rates are here - drop me a line at sarah (at) yesandyes (dot) org.

Mini Travel Guide: Wales

This is one of many Mini Travel Guides, in which we sample a bit of the best things any given country has to offer. This guide comes to us via the lovely Amber Rose, who has lived in Wales for ten years!



When people think of Wales, I’m pretty sure they’re of the understanding it’s full of sheep, choirs and unpronounceable place names. Well, you’re pretty spot on. In the ten years I’ve lived in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, I haven’t seen much different; but in a good way.



Must Go
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
No, I’m not joking. That is actually a place name. It’s actually officially recognized as the longest place name in the UK. Its namesake is a sweet little town right in the North of Wales but let’s be honest, you really want go just so you can get a picture next to that place sign!

Pembrokeshire
I’m going to the pull artistic license card here, and be biased towards my home county. I’m not the only one that’s fond of it however. The Shell House in the last Harry Potter film? Filmed at Freshwater West in Pembrokeshire. Big fight scene in Russell Crowe’s Robin Hood? Freshwater West; which is btw an absolutely stunning stretch of beach. Then there’s the famous lily ponds at Bosheston, which hide a secret beach. Tenby, with its candy coloured houses right at the water front. The Preseli hills, which look like Hobbit’s might live there, and Aragorn might just come galloping over the top of them. Well, a girl can dream, right?

Cardiff
Of course, I couldn’t miss out our beloved capital city. You have to hit up the Millennium Centre, or affectionately to us lot – The Armadillo. Pretty often you can see the Doctor Who exhibition right next to it, which is mostly filmed by BBC Wales in and around Cardiff. Doctor Who is pretty huge in the UK. There’s also plenty of castles to been seen around and about, and you totes mustn’t miss St David’s Cathedral.



Must Do
Experience the National Eisteddfod
The ‘Eisteddofod’ (eye-steth-vod) is a huge annual arts festival celebrating literature, singing and dancing, all solely through the Welsh Language. The atmosphere is so cultural and intoxicating I can assure you – you’ll be singing the national anthem like a native by the end of those hectic eight days.

Celebrate St. David’s Day
While celebrating national days is usually left up to the Paddys in Ireland, we don’t sleep through March 1st. Oh no. I remember every year in school, we used to wear national dress, and generally people would have either a Daffodil or a Leek pinned to their jacket. I once saw a gentleman with a full grown real Leek tied to him. I think he got a little carried away...

Explore some National Park
A lot of Wales is now national park, and when you see it you’ll understand why. The Pembrokeshire coastline is famous for its beauty and you can’t miss out on a boat ride or two to Puffin Island and in search of some of our resident Dolphins and Seals. You should also attempt to climb all 3560ft of Mt. Snowdon and admire the views of Snowdonia once you hit the top. Or else, you could always hop on the mountain railway



Must Eat
Cawl
Preferably with a bread roll and some cheese. Cawl, as in, Simon Cowell, is a traditional Welsh stew or broth made most traditionally with Lamb and Leeks. We serve this in the restaurant where I work and it’s really very popular among tourists and locals alike. We make it with all kinds of vegetables so it’s really filling and delicious. If you happen to spot it on your menu one day; I thoroughly recommend giving it a whirl.

Welsh Cakes
Now, these are by far my favorite Welsh food. I know they’re more of English afternoon tea ‘scone and cream’ equivalent, but more often than not, they have ended up being a very yummy breakfast – warmed up with a mug of sweet tea. I can’t think of anything quite like them, and seeing as they are really quick and easy to make have a go yourself and see if you like them? I’m test driven a fair few recipes out there, and have found this one to be by far the best. Don’t be put off if ou don’t happen to have a Griddle inhabiting your kitchen cupboards. I don’t either. I had a go with a normal baking tray and they really didn’t turn out too badly.



Cultural Tip
Whatever you do, don’t forget that you’re in Wales specifically. The Welsh are very proud of their Celtic heritage and language, and really get peeved when you mistake them for being British or even worse English. So, picking up one or two Welsh words will never go amiss.

Shw mae (Shoo – mai)– Hello, how’re you?
Diolch (Dee – ol – kh)– Thank you
Bore Da (Bor-reh Da) – Good Morning
Hwyl (Hoi-ul) – Goodbye



Travel On The Cheap
Public transport isn’t really your best bet. The train service isn’t amazing, as there isn’t a line which runs North-South, only West-East ones, which makes travelling up and down the country troublesome unless you really enjoy the bus. So, I recommend hiring yourself a car. You’ll find too many occasions where you spot something you want to explore, and sailing past it on a bus won’t satisfy your curiosity by any stretch. I mean, who could possibly drive past a sign for ‘Devil’s Bridge’ and not wanna have a peek?

Any other Welsh travel tips to share? Questions for Amber Rose?
I bet you can't wait to quit your job and travel the world now, eh?  Luckily, I've got some cheep-o travel ebooks that tell you how.