Coral Crochet Tank

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coral-red-crochet-tank

cognac-gladiator-ankle-sandals

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coral-tank-gold-accessories

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Tank
Shorts (similar)
Sandals
Nail Polish: OPI – ElePhantastic Pink
Lipstick: Revlon – Sassy Mauve

Hello, lovelies! How was your weekend?

The Look
Shades within the red color family, like coral, are some of my favorite to wear. I adore this brightly colored tank and the crotchet details. Paired with a pair of denim shorts and sandals and this look is perfect for a summer day (or night)!

The Latest
Typically, I don’t break down the content of my blog posts with subheadings, but with all that’s going on in the news, I wanted to write a bit. Clearly, I’m a black person (specifically, I’m a mix of African, Native American and Irish), and I am so saddened every time I come across a newsstory that discusses the same plot about a black person being shot by a trigger happy, non-black, police officer. The black person dies and the cop is either only forced to resign or barely receives a slap on the wrist for their murder. After the heated events that took place at the end of last week, I can’t help but reflect upon how to take action and make a positive difference.

Our system of justice in America is not fair. And I am still struggling with what to do to help make this nation one that shows justice to all. Truth be told, talking (or, writing!) about it is a start. M.L.K. Jr. spoke a lot about how silence tends to be the worst tragedy (when dealing with the rights of others). We need to acknowledge that there is a race issue in this nation and being a “non-racist” is not good enough. People must be “anti-racists” which means actively being conscious of racist tendencies within ourselves and others, and promptly shutting them down.

If there are 3 videos you absolutely must watch, and that you should share they are here:
1- This video about what it means to be more than a non-racist but to be an anti-racist
2- This video about the fascinating Jane Elliott and a thought-provoking question that she asks an audience.
3- This video about acknowledging racism in America and Jane Elliott’s suggestions for ending prejudice.

The Life
The weekend flew right on by! If you follow my Snapchat (add me: PrettyPerfect89), you’ll have seen that Saturday was spent at David’s buddy’s birthday BBQ bash. It was a fun time, but David and I were there between meals, so after staying at the bash for a couple of hours, we went to a very yummy restaurant in downtown Geneva called Burger Local. On Sunday, David and I spent more time together. We did some shopping out in Oak Brook (Sugarfina was out of the popular rosé gummy bears, but we tried the champagne ones and they are so delish!). After shopping, we headed back to our city and stopped into our fave local café spot, Graham’s 318. David did some work on his lap top, while I did some blogging on mine. Alena was at a friend’s for a sleepover on Saturday then my sister, Erica, took Alena up to Wisconsin to the Renaissance Fair all day on Sunday. It was nice spending lots of time with David, but I definitely missed my Alena love bug, so we rounded out Sunday night snuggled up together and chatting. Sometimes her reflections on life truly amaze me. She has such a good heart and she’s very curious. It’s hard to believe she’ll be starting 5th grade in the fall. (I’m now using the hashtag: #alenaallthecute on Instagram for whenever Alena makes an appearance here on All the Cute.)

That’s all I have right now… but please tell me about your thoughts about the core of this blog post. Do you think there’s a racial issue in America? How are you seeking to actively end this issue, and will you watch and share the videos I shared above? Do you think we can see progress in our day, or will it only show in the younger and younger generations?

With Style & Love,
♥
Amber

78 Comments

  6. We need to work hard to treat everyone how we want to be treated and be an advocate for change! I’ll check out your videos during lunch today. Thank you for sharing! On another note, your top is darling and I love this relaxed summer look!

    Jill
    Doused In Pink

  12. I love that blouse! Such a pretty color on you. There is most definitely a race issue. I live in Baton Rouge and I see it everyday, mostly on social media. I’ve deleted countless people off Facebook. We didn’t even have high school prom together (all races) until 2008. Crazy, right? It’s sad that race is still an issue globally, mostly in the South I’ve noticed. Hopefully there will be change soon!

    http://www.thebeautybeau.com/

    • Wow, girl! I cannot believe the slow moving “progress” with regards to race in this country. I forget which state, but I read a fact the other day that stated one state (might have been Alabama!) didn’t update their legislature for marriage between different races until 2000!!

      Also, you are so right. The race issue is global, not simply here at home in the States. :o(

  27. First before I get into the comment, I love the coral tank… it really is a great color for you Amber xox

    As for what is happening in the new lately, it completely breaks my heart… I cry thinking about it because one I really have no idea what people deal with being profiled… I think it is important for us to all think about that and work on our own thoughts to change them.

    I talked to Valentina about it and she said mama, they are the same as us, color means nothing, why can’t everyone look past our skin… she’s right, why can’t we look past it and just love each other.

    I agree something has to be done, sitting on the sidelines is not a way to change it… I too am not sure what it is… I know we need to make a change somehow…

    • We definitely need more love in the world. It’s amazing how some people just have no heart. But glad that there are some goodhearted ones, like you!

  41. I love that coral crochet top on you, the color pops so beautifully against your skin! Which lends itself perfectly to my next point, there is certainly still a racial issue and stereotypes in America. Though we have made improvements in many ways, at the same time, it does seem as though we’ve gone backwards. I like the fact that your brought up MLK because he was a true activist, one who believed in getting our points across without violence. Though I’m mixed, I do have minority mixtures (Jewish and Spanish). Many people believe that anti-Semitism has been long gone, but it is not. I’ve heard stereotypical comments made about Jews and of course Spanish all the time, some to my face. In fact, in the blogging world, I’ve noticed that I have been treated differently at certain events than others who didn’t look like me, which of course hurt at first. Every race, unless Native American, came to this country and wasn’t always received with open arms. I’m also Irish (my grandmother born and raised) and when they came here, they faced great opposition and were stigmatized. I think many ethnic groups tend to forget where they’ve come from and act and behave with a sense of entitlement, sometimes looking down on other groups of individuals. It’s sad and pathetic to think we are in 2016 and this is still a topic of discussion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings with us, beautiful, and I hope you have an amazing week ahead!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    http://www.thestylecontour.com

  47. First, I really like your coral cami :)

    Second, I don’t know that I can comment much on the current state of affairs in America being white and Australian. It could be argued we have a problem here too with racists but it’s definitely different from the US one. Either way it’s sad and it’s been heartbreaking seeing the stories that have come from America lately.

    Away From The Blue Blog

  50. First off, the lighthearted stuff…you look gorgeous! Those last few photos in particular were totally stunning! What a fun summer outfit!

    Now the serious stuff…I totally agree. I’m doing a video soon on all of this, for those exact reasons about not keeping silent. I’ve tried to keep heated opinions off my fashion blog, but enough is enough. Though I am a humanist, which by default (somewhat) means all lives matter, I 100% have the Black Lives Matter’s back in this case. People are missing the point of that organization and seeing more white people get upset over the police getting shot (which was sad, fair) but never getting upset over the repeated black men being gunned down made me unspeakably angry. What sucks is that racism is largely subconscious nowadays, which makes it so hard to call out and fix and it’s totally infuriating. It’s heartbreaking how much ignorance is showing through these days. I don’t have time this second, but I’m definitely going to come back and watch the videos you linked. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and links to further education-that’s not small thing! XO
    Lauren-Blair
    http://www.prefertobedemure.com

    • Thank you so much for being the empathetic person that you are!! You totally get it and that’s so encouraging!! Your support means a lot to so many lives, including mine!! ♥♥♥

  51. It’s hard. I try not to get in to it honestly, on sites like Facebook and stuff. I am extremely liberal and 100% for racial equality, but it’s hard to argue with people who will just never change their minds. I have a degree in philosophy, so most arguments to me just don’t seem worth my time haha (I basically got a degree in argument). I look at things very logically and scientifically, and because of that, I don’t see skin colours. We are all the same people. Where we come from just dictates our pigment.

    My half brother is also Mexican. I am happy I was raised in a mixed family. I truly believe it’s given me the tolerance I have today, and the ability to see everyone as equal. I will fight for that as long as I live.

    Great post Amber!

    -Emily http://www.coatandcoffee.com

    • Thank you for sharing your personal details and background!! I have so much respect for people like you who actively seek equality and rights for all!

  53. There is so much going on and there really always has been if you think about it. It’s hard to know where to begin and what to say or how to say it. I find that it’s really difficult to explain it to someone when they aren’t black. Others can certainly sympathize and do their part to try to correct a corrupt system but they can’t ever truly understand it on the same level as someone who lives it. It’s heartbreaking and upsetting. I’m just trying to raise my voice and talk to those around me to try and process it all.

    -M

    Violet Roots || Instagram || Twitter

    • It is so difficult to feel like you want so much change, but don’t know how to make a huge difference… but speaking up is very effective. I’m with ya, girl! ♥

  59. Lorna

    It’s nice of you to touch on serious subjects too, I think it’s important. Unfortunately there’s racism everywhere and it’s unfair. Everyone is equal and I never understand why people don’t get that. I even live by the fact that all creatures are equal, even animals, so there should be respect everywhere. Wouldn’t it be such a lovely world if that was true?

    Love your outfit though, it’s super cute! Such a pretty colour top!

    Raindrops of Sapphire

    • “A lovely world” is so true!! There are issues across the globe that center on injustice, lack of accountability, and humans with hatred, instead of love and empathy, in their hearts. I wish much was different!!

  61. Siffat Haider

    I’m totally with you, my heart breaks over the senseless shootings in the US of innocent black people. There needs to be a reform. On a lighter note, I absolutely adore your outfit, it’s such a cute summer look!
    xo
    Siffat
    http://icingandglitter.com

  64. It is a huge problem indeed. I’m a EU citizen and the first thing that really irritates me is the fact that Americans can wear weapons so easily.
    There are so many race differences in their law system and it’s really unfair. The sad thing about these events is that it splits up people even more. It shouldn’t, ’cause there’s lots of people who really want to change this.

    The color looks lovely on you by the way!
    xx
    Celien | The Losing Struggle

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