I am supporting Blog Action Day by lending my voice, post, etc to ensure that we all know that we can support the effort in making sure that poverty is no longer an issue for anyone. With thousands of bloggers working together, you can visit the site by clicking the logo above to lend your voice and to assist.

On past Fashionable Fridays I have shared interesting editorials, cute outfits that I considered to be a must and how it would look amazing with denim and anything else you can get your hands on. But as of this week, something amazing has taken place and in my mind’s eye, this is as big as many of the industries that continue to bubble at the service within the fashion industry. Right now we talk about two issues, that we want our models to reflect real people in the sense that they should look healthy and not as if they are seconds from fainting. In addition, our models should also reflect us as a people – coming in a variety of hues and that there should be an increased goal to ensure that our runways give everyone an opportunity to show how garments look. The runways promoting positive health and also promoting the very awareness that Italian Vogue did in their ground breaking issue of showing various black models. I commend anyone that can be the first or be apart of any movement that aims to change the face of how we see everything around us. Although I have made strides to change something whether it is within the industry or not, I have not placed myself on a platform that says, “here I am, recognize me as I am apart of this team”.

Sarah Conley, Coutorture Community Manager, Style IT Editor, make up artist and my friend who has helped me learn much more about social media and just what it means to be connected even when you don’t see each other everyday (yet you share the same city) – is on this platform. This Fashion Week as I become excited in not only attending the shows but sharing it with you, I felt the need to focus on the preparation and what it’s like to be there in one of fashion’s greatest tests of endurance. Sarah aims to launch the ground breaking webisodes of "On the Plus Side: A Fuller Figured Fashion Week", a documentary on what it means to be a plus size woman covering New York Fashion Week. To know Sarah is to know someone that is so vibrant and passionate about what she does that you are also engaged in what she is working on as well. This is someone who has style and so much so that many of the clothing companies: NARS, Old Navy, B & Lu, Lane Bryant, Silhouettes and Kathryn Kerrigan are assisting her so she can inspire other plus sized women to embrace their inner style and to be comfortable in their own skin.

With this big step and with so many people supporting Sarah within the blogosphere (Girl Woman Beauty Brains) and in PR (PR Couture), I felt that it was necessary to show my support for my friend. I am not only supporting her by creating an exclusive lariat necklace from my line, Kitten Couture for Sarah. This necklace will be named Lola (pictured below and is constructed of Mother of Pearl, Green Chips and vibrant Red Coral), and a percentage of the proceeds will be given to an organizations that encourages young girls to strive for their goals as they continue to gain a strong sense of self.

But as she covers NYFW and explores "On the Plus Side", we will also play her videos here as well to keep you in the loop! I have had the honor of hearing this from a plan to seeing it morph into an amazing plan. Although Sarah's focus is on representing a positive statement on being a plus sized woman and participating in NYFW, I can't help thinking that this is also a cry for all of us to enjoy who we are no matter our size, height, appearance etc! Stay tuned and also stay tuned to the sites mentioned within this post who will also be covering this. If you are a company that is interested in assisting Sarah, then please reach out so that you can be apart of this event as well!

Today was so hectic that I didn't get to sit down and check in with some of my favorite blogs - which is always unfortunate because you miss something. Well it wasn't until I got home tonight, via Gchat, that my friend - Sarah of Style It told me that I had won an award and directed me to her site!

The Brilliante Award highlights those blogs that are amazing and allows the person who receives it to pass it on to other blogs that they love. You can only give this to 7 people and it must be that number - tough choice but rules are rules and I am so not giving it back! I love passing kudos on and letting others know why I like something so without further ado my 7 picks for this award:

*I definitely want to be more green around the home and with a move coming up and a lot of furniture and items to be purchased, I have quickly grown attached to Jennae's blog, Green Your Decor. I love supporting this and bringing it into my home; however, I love knowing that I have a great resource to find some great leads. Between her site and Domino - I am so caught up on my decor needs!

*My mom and I work on various business projects together and it's nice to not only have that sense of team but to know that you're with family at the same time. I love Girl-Woman-Beauty-Brains and I love that this is a great lifestyle blog and am always eager to see what the super duo - Beckie and Jamie are talking about. It's like yet another slice of home and you can never have too much of that!

*I remember when I first came across Katie when I saw that she had jewelry pouches. In fact, she was one of the first people I blogged about on my first blog, Kitten Couture Blog and then was one of the first accessories people I blogged about on See Pretty Things. Since then, I continue to blog about her pieces as I am a HUGE fan of supporting indies and I continue to check in with her on her blog Fashionmista which is so cute whether she is talking about her wedding, graphic projects or how to keep people who work from home motivated. She is always out there and I love being connected to someone who shows so much of themselves and helps others as well.

*As some of you know, my day job is working at Lacoste at the corporate offices and thankfully I have always been a tennis fan and since working there, have embraced golf as well. I watched it growing up as a kid but now being surrounded the sport, having a friend whose dad is a golf pro and always keeping an eye out for how great our product looks on Christie Kerr, I have also enjoyed Golf Girl's Blog! Patricia brings fashion to golf and lets us all know about it!

*If it wasn't for Sarah of Style It, I wouldn't know about a lot of applications that I use now such as Twitter, Twitterfeed and there are a lot more. It was because of her that a few months ago, I learned about iJustine and I love popping in on her site to see what she's up to and I agree with Sarah that her underwater Flip footage is super funny. I am always excited to learn about new items even if I don't have one (no iPhone I'm still pleased with my Pearl!).

*Last summer I came across Fashion is Spinach and I was in love. In my mind, it's like the Anthropologie of fashion blogs. I love the tidbits and the way that everything comes together but whether she is talking vintage, showing runway images or talking about being the winner of the Eddy's contest, she has a great voice and one that I love visiting.

*You can't be in the city and not think about where you're going to eat, what's a great place to have a drink and occassionaly, what do you want to cook? I have a lot of sites that I read to keep me up to date on what's the next best thing and since I walk around the city a lot, I love finding things on my own. But I am a huge fan of Restaurant Girl and love that she always suggests a place that I love when I go or sometimes without reading her review or knowing that one will be created, I go to a place that she has gone to as well. You always have to have a great resource and she is one of mine!

These are my 7 picks who I will pass this award on to! I look forward to continuing to read their sites, to talk with you through Twitter and to learn more about the areas you cover!

The best thing about being apart of the Coutorture network is to see a variety of writers that talk about various areas in fashion and beauty. When I first started writing, my focus was purely accessories. I enjoy writing about all items that within this category on See Pretty Things. Of course after writing about this, I realized that I wanted to be able to bring in entertainment and style so I included that within this blog - The Kitten Lounge. This site has definitely stepped it up by adding additional elements and today I launch Beauty! I am really excited that going forward, Thursday will covers makeup and cosmetics. I want to share with you my favorite products and those that have just hit the market! Previously I have posted about this here and there but to have this as an ongoing selection makes me very happy!

With that being said I am including my 2nd favorite item that I love using. Those who know me know that I love my MAC Studio Fix powder. I love the coverage and how natural it is and whenever I am out and about, this is in my bag and knows that it is time to travel. Recently, I became a fan of
  as I have her baked products that include bronzer and eye shadow. As we transitioned from winter to spring and on to summer (and because I am never without my lip gloss or balm), I wanted to find a nice Lip Strip that would ensure that my lips would stay soft! This soft sugar scrub comes in a tiny cute container and can be massaged on the lip for about one minute. I love that there is a great peppermint taste if you happen to taste it by accident and upon first use, this $15 product is absolutely worth having! Available exclusively on Sephora.com - this is a must have no matter where you go. I use it about once a week after I have used my mask. It's a nice quick spa with great results.

Today's installment of Mingling Mondays brings me to one of my favorite places. Originally, I found out about Amai on a trip to Tavalon Tea Bar on 14th street which has a variety of teas and carries baked goods that are from various bakeries. I had the best Green Tea cookie (since people know that I am such a fan of anything that has this in it). Thankfully, Tavalon Tea Bar provides information about who made such a delicious treat that I Googled it and came across the blog LovesCool. There I found that Kelli, was the owner of Amai and at the time, they were sold at area retailers. I let her know how much I loved her cookies and posted about it on a blog that I ran at that time. I loved that her blog was focused on desserts and I always checked in. Then I found out that Kelli was actually opening her own shop and was so excited that I could get these cookies and more. Amai Tea and Bake House opened late October and they have definitely been on the lips of area residents, celebs and she was also nominated in Time Out NY as well which is amazing.

Not only can you visit the shop (which is perfect for mingling) but you can also order the Green Tea Tea Sweet Cookies and additional sweet treats from the site. In terms of THINK CITRUS, the perfect treat would be the Lemon Grass and Ginger. If you buy the tins of cookies, you can reuse the container to store your tea which is perfect (and they are super cute)! Support this talented dessert shop and check out her blog as well.

Amai Tea & Bake House 171 3rd Ave (Btwn 16th/17th Sts) NY, NY

I love it! It's official, we're in the holiday season now! It's all about parties, gifts, amazing food and spending time with those that can't wait to see us! I love this time of year, you can deal with the change in temperature since you become so focused on all the good stuff. So enjoy reading posts you haven't read in awhile and check out my sister blog See Pretty Things, an accessory blog that satisfies your daily accessories fix! There are great gifting items there as well.  When you finish, click on links and read others that are absolutely amazing as well.

If you want to kick off your shopping, relax at home and enjoy Kitten Couture, resort inspired jewelry that is currently have a limited time sale! Get many of your favorite lariats at a GREAT price. I am so excited to officially present some new pieces and to know that these will be worn to your functions and will find its way into wrapped gifts as well. Happy Thanksgiving and make sure to give everyone your love!!