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BUSINESS CASUAL - MOM JEANS & BLAZER: EXPRESS STYLE FILES





It's time for another series of styling sessions, with my latest favorites from Express! In my partnership with the brand, I create a look every month, highlighting several pieces. In my personal style journey, I have always emphasized a balance of classics and trendy pieces, and I try to do the same with this series as well. 

I fell in love with Mom Jeans, a few months ago, when I tried a pair for this series.  Slowly they became the most worn jeans in my current rotation. So I decided to pick up the same jeans, in another color- blue! While I am usually a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal, I opt for business casuals, like so many others, when it comes to all things work. A brand new Spring Blazer, a Body Contour Body Suit, and my trusty nude pumps - and we were set. It is all about balancing the proportions. SInce the mom jeans are more of a relaxed fit, I paired it with the bodysuit and the fitted blazer. The nude pumps elevate the look, giving the casual jeans, a more business touch if you get my drift. Some statement earrings add in the much-needed pop of color. Hope you liked this edition of the Express-style files. You can shop my look, from the options linked below! 


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FORD BRONCO PREVIEW




I had the opportunity of previewing the iconic Ford Bronco in Kansas City, as it makes a comeback after 25 years. I and my husband love to travel and our fair share of adventure, and also love our SUVs. When we saw that the new Bronco was just loaded for adventure, it made our weekend. We previewed the Bronco Badlands and Bronco Big Bend. While both are amazing, we are in love with the Bronco Badlands. Years ago, we had done some slick rock driving/off-road driving, in Elephant Hill, Canyon Lands, in Utah At that time, we had rented a modified SUV. At that time, there was no Bronco Badlands! The iconic classic can transform from a city car, in downtown, to a rock climber in the canyons, in a second! While you can drive up to brunch with your girlfriends, you can also plan, all family vacations, in the wild, keeping the reimagine cult classic - Bronco 2021! Did I mention the 31-inch wheels! 








 I am a person of color, and I use my space to highlight other persons of color, whenever I get the opportunity. The earliest sketches for the Bronco, dated July 24, 1963, were developed by designer McKinley Thompson, the first African American automobile designer working for Ford. How cool is that! Ford is introducing a new outdoor brand with its all-4x4 family of Bronco two-door, first-ever Bronco four-door, and smaller Bronco Sport models – all engineered with Built Wild Extreme Durability Testing, Capability and Innovative Design principles for segment-leading levels of off-road performance and dependability. As I mentioned earlier, the brand new Bronco was in Kansas City, last weekend! Auto shows have been put on hold, and consumers all across haven't had a chance to see the new Bronco. 


 Every Bronco model is engineered to deliver thrilling and confident off-road experiences that build on the DNA of the original 1966 Bronco and its racing heritage, with ingenious new updatable technologies and adventure-ready attributes created for today’s outdoor enthusiasts. 

Vehicle Highlights

Bronco Two-Door and Four-Door models:

  • Seven unique models including Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Wildtrak, Badlands, and First Edition
  • More than 200 factory-backed accessories for maximum personalization and capability
  • Exclusive terrain management (Baja, Rock-Crawl and Mud/Ruts for off-road driving plus Slippery and Sand, Sport, Eco and Normal) tackle any driving condition
  • Two available hardtops that come off in sections, available quick-release stowable roof panels and doors, a first-gen model inspired clearly visible instrument panel and washable rubberized floors. 




Bronco holds a special place in popular culture and has been featured in more than 1,200 films and 200 songs. Since Ford ended production in 1996, Bronco SUVs have continued to grow in popularity with collectors and enthusiasts. With the January 2017 announcement of the return of Ford Bronco, valuations have skyrocketed, according to Barrett-Jackson Auction Company, with the average first-generation Bronco sale price nearly doubling from $39,763 to $74,820 in just more than three years. Hagerty valuation guide ranks 1966-77 Broncos as among the highest vehicle price increases of all collectible SUVs over the past three years – a 75.8 percent gain. 


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KC THAI: GIVEAWAY

 Women's History Month might be over, but I love to feature Boss Ladies in my space! After I had missed the media preview in January, I was looking for an opportunity to go to KC Thai! What better than not only check out great Thai food, highlight two wonderful boss ladies but also bring a Giveaway for my followers!

To enter the Giveaway: 
Follow KC Thai on Instagram  @kcthairestaurant,
Follow me on Instagram @ritz_journospeak
Tag your foodie friends in comments, on my latest Instagram post, featuring KC Thai. 
KC Thai is one of the newest Thai restaurants in Kansas City, brought to you by two amazing boss ladies- Chef Penny Mufuka and Chef Bunnuch Benberg(Chef Nuch)! When you walk into KC Thai, you can't miss how beautiful it is laid out and decorated! It's modern, well-lit, and very Instagram-able if  I might add so! The sleek and modern decor of the restaurant has been designed by Chef Penny herself! 

Chef Penny moved to America nearly 25 years ago, with only $800 in her pocket, and knowing no English!  Doug and Penny met years ago when Penny was working in a Thai restaurant and the two decided to open a new restaurant focused on the traditional flavors of Thai cuisine. Penny was born and raised in Phichit, Thailand on a rice farm. Before coming to Kansas city Chef Nuch owned a restaurant for 15 years back in Thailand after she graduated from culinary school. But nothing was handed to her Just like Penny she grew up in the rural area of Thailand very poor before working hard to improve her life. When she arrived in America and had to start over and find a job a friend introduced her to Penny who had a restaurant and they became friends because they shared values like hard work and a love of food. 


The menu at KC Thai is a mix of authentic dishes, as well as signature creations from both Chef  Penny and Chef Nuch! They have 6 different types of curries, which are made without fish sauce, making it an excellent choice for vegans! While I and my husband love spicy food, our foodie daughter is dipping her toes. So we decided to go the mild route, for our choices! Before I start off with the amazing food, can I take a moment to compliment the quality of service at KC Thai! The staff is friendly and has great suggestions! And you cant miss the smiling eyes, behind the masks. The seating arrangements are all socially distanced, keeping in mind covid safety protocols. 

We started off with Thai Spicy Sausage! You take one bite of this sausage, and literally, you cannot stop! My spice tolerance is pretty high, so for me, this was perfect! You could classify this as very spicy, but you cannot miss teh flavor of fresh herbs and spices! Served with a side of toasted peanuts, julienned ginger and jalapenos, its really amazing! 
Our daughter really wanted to try the Dumplings! We opted for chicken dumplings which came with a side of Chef Penny's signature dipping sauce! One bite of these dumplings and reminded me of vacations in Southeast Asia! I am a fan of steamed dumplings, and my husband is a fan of fried dumplings,s and this was happy in-between, in terms of texture. 


Everyone has their favorites in Thai cuisine. For me and my husband, it's GaProw! Its cleaver-chopped meat, cooked in spices and Thai basil and served with a fried egg, on top! Paired well, with steamed rice. We opted for beef in our GaProw! It was every bit what our hearts desired. It was juicy, flavorful and packed a punch. 

Phad Kee Mow(Drunken Noodles) is another favorite of ours, and we opted for it with shrimp! Flat noodles cooked with egg, sweet basil, bell peppers, mushroom, broccoli, bok soy, and cooked in sweet soy sauce. I loved the balance of sweet and savory in this dish. 
Not exactly in that order, but we also sampled their signature Fresh Spring Rolls. You can't miss the crunch when you take a bite. We opted for chicken as our choice of protein. Rolled fresh in rice paper, with lettuce, bean thread noodles, bean sprouts, and my favorite, cilantro! As a proud Asian-American foodie, I love my cilantro!


If we were not stuffed to the brim already, there was dessert! My daughter is a fan of cheesecake but hasn't yet ventured into the mango arena. So she opted for Creme Brulee Cheesecake! I sneaked in a bite from her, and trust me, I could go back, just for this. When you combine two iconic desserts, and you do it well, what's not to love! 

I and my husband had to opt for the Sweet Sticky Mango Rice! It is a seasonal dessert, on their menu. Mango sticky Rice is one of the most iconic Thai desserts, which you can find, whenever you travel to Thailand. The sticky rice is sweetened and has a hint of desiccated sweet coconut, to create a more umami flavor to the dessert. It reminds you of days in the sun, of tropical paradise! If you haven't ever tried this iconic Thai dessert, then give it a try, next time you are in KC Thai! 
KC Thai is located at 2250 W. 135th St., Overland Park, Kan. 66221. The restaurant is open for dine-in, curbside carry out, and delivery, Monday – Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. For more information, visit the website at www.kcthai.com or call (913) 400-2281. 


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TIE DYE DRESS FOR SPRING: TARGET STYLE FILES








It's the first of the opening season for the Kansas City Royals! So it seemed to be the perfect opportunity for me to style my Tie-Dye Dress from Target! Also, I finally got accepted into the Rewards Style program. This means that you can Shop My Look, through the LTK App or the lIke to Know It App! I have been blogging for years, but I am late to the Rewards Style club. But as they say, better late than never. 

Coming back to the dress, it is perfect for Spring-Summer! I had been looking for a dress for my daughter's unicorn-themed birthday and was gravitated towards this outfit! Loved the ombre tones, the textured fabric, and the statement sleeves. I sized up to a medium as I wanted a looser fit! Also am cognizant of my covid pounds, I have gained, in the past year. Styled the dress with my Hammered Gold Leather Earrings, and my Leopard Pumps! 

Hope you liked my latest Spring outfit! Thanks for stopping by
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