They call me Byrdie because I'm so fly!
That's what I tell people when I get asked about my name. That's also how this blog was born.
A blog that's not about any one topic but about the inspiration itself. #SoFly is finding the cool, the positivity, the edge on something. It's confidence. It's ownership of your true joy.
This blog is #SoFly BECAUSE it’s an evolving project. Currently inspired by music, fashion, culture…life, but one day I hope it inspires other Latinas to be #SoFly.
Fashion: Ballin’ on a
Budget; The priceless feeling of a good deal
By: Byrdie Franco-Rocha
Pink Peacock?
Perfect!
I
love me some runway fashion, and I especially love to ball on a budget. So,
when my friend Pam casually tells me over a Friday lunch that she needs to find
a peacock theme-friendly dress for a wedding that Sunday, we wrap up the meal
and zoom to the closest consignment store.
Consignment
shops are perfect for finding deals because the garments, shoes, and
accessories are gently worn and sometimes they may even be new. The stuff is
affordable, and the stores usually carry a mix of trendy as well as timeless
pieces. Luckily, we were in a hip Dallas ‘hood called the Bishop Arts District,
and there was a resale shop just a few stores down from the restaurant. It’s blazing hot, so we skip on the sidewalk deals and quickly head straight inside to raid the color-coordinated racks for dresses. Once our arm muscles beg us for a break, we wrestle through the boutique, holding yards of green silk, yellow chiffon, gold sequence, and who knows what else into the dressing room. After a few minutes, Pam comes out with a short and flowy little black dress. It looks good but not exactly the attention-demanding number we are looking for. Then, while I’m noticing the plentitude of the men’s jean section, remembering when I first fell in love with bargain shopping (click here to read that story), I hear Pam pound the dressing room door open as if she was locked in and coming out for air.
As you can see here to the
left, her peacock dress was not blue, green and purple. It was shades of pink,
orange, and yellow. It was long, fitting, and sure to pass the
“no-hoochie-mamma” requirement she was given along with the wedding invite (Um,
I wonder what dresses Pam normally wears to get such a specific dress code
warning?). We were so excited, and I was happy to be part of the
dress hunting experience. We found the perfect dress in less than two hours.
Ballin’ on a budget not only saved us dough; it saved us time too…and that's #SoFly.
Fashion: Ballin’ on a Budget; The priceless feeling of a good deal
By: Byrdie
Franco-Rocha
Looking 'Till I Hit Bell-Bottom
I
clearly remember digging through stacks of denim in our dinning room floor. For a few months, my entrepreneurial
mom was in the clothing resale biz and let me tell you, there was a reason that clothes was not kept. I had never seen so many ugly pants! However, despite the mess and occasional odor, my curiosity won over; good thing too because tucked into a large taught bundle
of dark and rugged Husky-sized Wranglers was a beam of hope in the shape of
faded, stretchy, and perfectly fitting nameless jeans. I couldn’t wait to wear
them. But there was one problem: it was 1990 and bell-bottoms were not in
style. At least not for this ambitious American girl.
I was a fashion risk-taker, even as a kid. But, I knew that bell-bottoms were going to be a bit much for my elementary-aged friends. They were used to me pushing the fashion trend line but I didn't think they were ready for a retro throwback. So despite my reservations, I decided to transform the pants
into my favorite pair of cut-off shorts.
They were hot! The hip-hugging 70’s fit was unique and there was no
other kid on the block rockin’ my style, making me the rock star!
It was then, that I first discovered the rush of balling on a budget.
A
few years later, I found my soon-to-be favorite pair of jeans lying in a heap
of rags in a dingy thrift store. The prewashed, holey, below-the-waist GAP
jeans cost me a whopping 10 cents, but I felt like a diva in them. I was Janet
Jackson in her 1993 MTV Music Awards performance when I had them on. I even had
a black leather vest to match y todo!
The inspirational performance of That’s The Way Love Goes/If also reminded me of my, by then, long lost cut-off
shorts and the authentic bell-bottoms they once were.
Just
three years after my first balling on a budget experience, my favorite artist
brought back the bell-bottom pant. My gut felt tighter with guilt than Janet’s
six-pack abs. I should have listened to it back when I butchered those denim
bell-bottoms. But I didn’t. Since then, I’ve been in search for another perfect
pair of authentic denim bell-bottoms.
When I find them, I won’t cut them into shorts. I’ll wear them as is
(well, after a wash or two). And who knows, maybe I’ll bust my “If” moves and
have you call me Miss Jackson!
Ah, it's amazing how a favorite pair of jeans can make you feel. Imagine all the stories behind denim threads. My pairs are filled with their share of dreams and nightmares. They are stained with the greenest of soft grass as well as the reddest hard-fall blood from my many journeys.
They say in America, everything is possible. I find that even more true when I have my good jeans on. So, thank you America for inventing denim. I'm sure you have my bell bottoms out there somewhere so watch with care until I find them.
Some Critics Say Britney Doesn’t Have Moves, But She Can Cha-Cha-Cha-CHING!
When it comes to numbers, Britney hits them on the charts and fills them in the seats—no doubt about it. Last year her Circus tour earned $131.8 million. This summer, her girl-power-through-the-ages themed Femme Fatale tour grossed $6.2 million in the 10 ten shows alone.
And the cash register isn’t closed yet, in fact, this month started off with a little extra femme power. Mega star Lady Gaga checked out the Femme Fatale concert in Atalantic City, (the same city where Gaga her track song Born This Way during her own tour) and the crowd went gaga!
The Femme Fatale tour was filmed this past weekend at the Air Canada Centre. The video will be the official concert tour DVD and air on Epix HD later this year.
Britney’s Minaj à Trois Not Enough For Gaga
Was adding hip-hop princess Nicki Minaj, California girl group, Jessie and the Toy Boys, and the sexy Australian twin sisters of Nervo to the concert line-up not enough girl-on-girl action for Lady Gaga?
According to Impre.com, here is what Gaga had to say:
"Singing about sexuality between heterosexuals does not cause enough controversy as I want to create. "
Apparently Gaga admires Britney’s strength and beauty, but just does not think she will be following in Brit Brit’s creative footsteps any time soon. Here is a quote from Gaga using Britney as a reference towards her work in comparison to the type sexy she (Gaga) puts on.
"A girl’s got to use what she’s given and I’m not going to make a guy drool the way a Britney video does. So I take it to extremes. I don’t say I dress sexily on stage - what I do is so extreme. It’s meant to make guys think: ‘I don’t know if this is sexy or just weird."
In Gaga’s latest video, she decides she doesn’t want guys and girls just loving her and each other (not exactly in that order). She wanted something more profound. She wanted herself! Watch the video to see her kiss herself, as a dude.
It’s Britney Bitch
So earlier this summer, rumors spread that Britney and Nicki got catty on the Femme Fatale tour earlier this summer (mmm hmm). According to mediatakeout.com Britney was getting all diva after Nicki went too long on her stage time, not once, but twice! Who knows if this rumor is true, but I can tell you that I checked out the show in Dallas and it was catfight free. I actually read that Nicki was really excited to do the tour with the one and only Britney, something that she would not consider doing with any other artist of the like. Smart move, Britney brings bank. I mean it's Britney BIRRR (Nicki voice).
They both went fatale with it for sure. In fact, it was refreshing to hear Britney sing LIVE. Seriously, I don’t think she did much lip-synching at all. I give her props for that. And, in my opinion, I think Britney does a great job of mixing in that electra and dubstep sound with pop. Nicki did not disappoint either. She had a full show and managed to keep it just a hair over PG13.
Consignment
shops are perfect for finding deals because the garments, shoes, and
accessories are gently worn and sometimes they may even be new. The stuff is
affordable, and the stores usually carry a mix of trendy as well as timeless
pieces. Luckily, we were in a hip Dallas ‘hood called the Bishop Arts District,
and there was a resale shop just a few stores down from the restaurant.
