By Katrice

As soon as I heard that I was getting the BlackBerry Z10 as a part of the Verizon Ambassador Program, I thought I'm back! I have been using an iPhone for the past year and a half but it was absolutely a switch made out of desperation. I was completely enthralled with every one of my BlackBerries until there was nothing for me to upgrade to. It was a sad, sad day. So, when the Z10 arrived earlier this month, I just knew I would pick up where I left off with my last BB. Well ... It hasn't been quite that easy; What a difference a year (and some months) makes.

I love the design of the phone. It's ultra slim and lightweight with a nice size screen -- 4.2 inches to be exact. From the jump, I did find it pretty seamless to figure out the setup and actually was able to sign right back into the system manager with my old BB login information. That was cool. But, then, I hit a wall. 

The phone was all set up, I'd taken a few test photos, loaded my go-to contacts (actually a post for another time) and I was on to Blackberry World to download the apps I use frequently. PageOnce, good. Facebook, got it. Twitter ... Tunein Radio, check. Instagram ... [scrolling] ... Instagram ... Hm. No Instagram. Okay, that's alright. Mapquest ... [scrolling] ... Mapquest. Oh, okay, no Mapquest. Netflix ... [scrolling] ... Hmmmm. No Netflix. 

I actually had to take pause. I guess I didn't realize how app driven I was until that moment. Using my phone for actual calling has shifted to secondary. I conduct my life, in part, via the apps on my phone and it hadn't even occurred to me how involved all of this really was. So, on to Plan B. I thought, if I'm going to use this phone, I'll need to find some apps similar to what I'm missing.

Here's what I'm using:
Wisepilot is my answer to mapquest. It's efficient and updates automatically so I never have to worry about outdated streets or ever-present construction in our lovely city.

DoNow is new for me but I love it because I'm a list-maker. But, it's just that one single item that you need to keep top of mind at the present and it is on your homescreen whenever you look onto your phone. Perfect. 

By Katrice



I've been meaning to post about my new hair style for a couple of days, but I'm in production for the May issue ... and that has taken over my life. But, here I am today to give you a few quick deets about how I did my own Havana Twists. 

I saw a photo of Brandy last week with Havana Twists and loved them so much that I immediately wanted the style. So, I googled "Havana Twists" to see some other styles people were wearing but one of the first links to come up was a DIY video on YouTube by donedo05. She made it look so easy that I thought I'd try it. 

I will do them larger next time, but I started small

I'm not very handy with my hair; if you've been following me — you know I tend to stick to fros, twist outs and puffs. But, I actually made it through doing these twists, so that means virtually anyone can do it. One tip that helped me to get them started with invisible roots is to begin them like senegalese twists. 

What I used:
Marley Braiding Hair, color 2 {Any brand will suffice; I used three bags but bought four to be safe.}
Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer
ORS Lock and Twist Gel
Qhemet Biologics Aethiopika Hydrate & Twist Butter

By Katrice


I'm a little late with this, but not because I'm not completely overjoyed ... I finally replaced my military-strength Otterbox iPhone case with a chic new cover from Caseable. Talk about a refreshing change. I can't even begin to tell you how over that big black case I was. It became a security blanket because I was so afraid of breaking my iPhone but it was a love hate relationship. I felt like "Brand New Day" from "The Wiz" started playing when I took my phone out of that case. 

I digress. 

I had been looking for a softer, more "me" case for my phone for a while so I was excited when Caseable contacted me about trying one of its custom products, I was all in again. If you follow me on IG, it's been showing up in all my selfies. {*wink*} I discovered the hip Brooklyn company because of its iPad covers but they also also customize for e-readers, tablets, smartphones, and more. What I love is that you can upload your own design for your case or choose from one of the collection of in-house styles — which I did for my phone and iPad. I almost opted for a one of my own photos to go on my case but after browsing their offerings, I was sold on "Roses" design by Bianca Green. It actually took me a bit of time to narrow it down though because the choices of handcrafted cases from recycled materials are pretty abundant. But, I love that it's frilly without being too over the top and it doesn't take away from the look of the iPhone that we love so much. Now, to keep from dropping it because the good is also the bad: It's a very lightweight minimal cover that will not offer any buffer for your phone if you drop it. I'm now committed to being doubly careful with my phone. Not only do I want to protect my iPhone, I don't want to crack my cute case either. 

Love it? Go here.

By Katrice 

Macy's has set its agenda for women's spring fashion: Cardis, dresses, statement sandals, peplums and prints on prints on prints. I was on hand Saturday when Caprice Willard, featured buyer for Macy's on NBC's "Fashion Star," gave Lenox Square shoppers of the retail giant a few tips for updating their closets for this season during a mini runway show.

Models donned Rachel Rachel Roy, Jessica Simpson, Betsey Johnson, Free People, Calvin Klein, INC, Kensie, BCBG Generation, Ralph Lauren, Bar III and more. Simply put — a lot of goodness happened. And my favorites were plentiful.

Dress | Calvin Klein  Shoe | Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson

Peplum Top | Studio M  Cardigan | Charter Club  Textured Short | INC  Wedge | G by Guess

Top | Vince Camuto  Cardigan | Tommy Hilfiger  Skinny | Karen Kane

Jacket | Bar III  Striped Pencil | Bar III  Barrel Bag | Betsy Johnson  Cork Wedge | BCBGGeneration

Calvin Klein

Top | Jessica Simpson  Cardigan | Charter Club  Lace Short | American Rag  Shoe | Enzo Angiolini

Dress | Jessica Simpson  Shoe | Steve Madden

By Katrice



I'm totally against the rising notion of being so busy that you refuse to dedicate down time to regrouping. I just am. 

I've noticed more and more, since I've been ubiquitous on social media, that there is a resounding hype around moving nonstop ... or at least appearing to be moving nonstop. Via my work for a business lifestyle magazine, I do realize that this, in fact, is the life of many entrepreneurs; It's just necessary. But even a small business owner who is the sole provider of their livelihood needs down time. Anyway ... I digress. 

I can go for a long time without taking vacation time. I enjoy a lot of excursions but even those are work-oriented as I am cultivating my travel writing savvy. So when I finally realize that I'm in need of a bit of rest and relaxation, I'm completely burnt out. It goes something like this: I'll literally be taking days to finish one day's To Do list, hitting snooze multiple times, napping in the evenings after work, procrastinating, et cetera, et cetera. I give these examples only to illustrate how beside myself I get before I realize that it's time to stop and renew. I'm in a constant struggle with myself for balance and I will not give in. 

I simply do not believe anyone can be at their best when they constantly pour out and take little or no time to replenish. The benefit of prioritizing quality over quantity can be applied here. 

Because I am still on the climb professionally and personally, I struggle with feeling as if I could be and should be doing more. Earlier in my life — post college, it was commonplace for me to work two and even three jobs because I had the time, and actually felt lazy when I didn't fill my time with work. A bit of it came from the memory of being a broke college student and the rest from believing that constantly moving would surely enhance my chances of success. Think quantity. At that time in my life {age and state}, it didn't hurt to be moving without a well-considered strategy. Fifteen years later, it does. More is not always better. 

Sometimes, I'll note the tendency towards more is more in my Twitter timeline and it has inspired me to tweet #tightenup tips from my perspective as both an editor and an executive who has some experience under my belt that I believe can benefit others. Don't allow a seeming lull in your progression or the success of others around you to drive you. Be driven by a well-thought out plan, by the accumulation of your own successes {large and small} and by balance and wellness. 

Yes, getting what you want out of life will take dedicated effort but don't be fooled by the notion that you can only get there via a constant state of frenzy. As always, my word play is dramatic ... but you get my sentiment. Take time to take care of you. And no, this doesn't mean that things will fall into place by themselves; It means that you'll be at your best and can make moves that exemplify that. Think quality. 

By Katrice

When it was time to renew my phone contract almost two years ago, I went to several different stores looking for a Blackberry upgrade. The only thing available to me was the Curve I already had; I wanted something newer and fresher, and there were no options. So, I switched to an iPhone ... begrudgingly. And for the first few months, had a new BB come out — I'd have gone back immediately. That was January 2012, and now finally 15 months later the Blackberry we'd been hearing so much chatter about has arrived. When I found out that this phone would be in my possession as a Verizon Ambassador, the word happy hardly does my reaction justice. I'm so excited to try it. 

I love listening to the radio on my phone while working so I'm excited to try the speaker that we received in the accessory kit. 

The design is ultra slim and the screen is large without making the size of the phone overwhelming, and it's even more modern than I expected. 

Though it seems that everything I use for both work and play is suddenly iOS, I told an MVL fan on Facebook today that it's funny how even being away from the Blackberry operating system all this time, as soon as I set it up and started looking over it's features, I fell right back into BB mode. Ahhhh yes!

More to come.