Category: OOTD

Fall Weekend Getaway (feat. Gwynnie Bee)

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Last weekend I got to head over to Lancaster, Pennsylvania with two friends and my mother. A retreat of sorts, it was a trip I wasn’t expecting to go on until my mentor casually mentioned that she had purchased my ticket because I deserved to take some time to unwind. (I truly really am blessed with some great friends.) I had to travel light so I looked to Gwynnie Bee to help me make a decision as to what to pack. Gwynnie Bee is a subscription box service that allows you to try different styles and brands for an affordable rental fee.  For my first box I got these two beautiful printed dresses that were just perfect for the occasion especially since they both go well with my favorite crossbody satchel.

Day 1-  Pennsylvania Dutch Country Sightseeing and Shopping

One we entered Pennsylvania our first stop was Kitchen Kettle Village. A very picturesque countryside attraction with small shops and restaurants,  I got to sample authentic Amish jams, and window shop scented candles, soap, hand-carved signs, handmade quilts, and leather goods. I totally missed my chance to take a buggy ride tour of the nearby Amish farms, but I guess there’s always next time.

20160930_130044This Hemant & Nandita print A-line dress is meant to be worn in the summer yet when paired with a turtleneck or denim jacket, can easily be worn during these early fall days when the temps are just beginning to drop into the mid-60s.  The pattern and colors are stunning in person so I highlighted this with black tights and boots. (Style notes: I would suggest either sizing down or wearing this dress with a belt because it runs a bit large. As it is not lined I wore a slip underneath, this helped with the static, but it did cause the dress to twist on occasion.) Continue reading →

Fall Transition Kimono Style

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I’ll be honest, my personal style is eclectic.  I can go from hyper feminine to polish professional, to dark and edgy, to Sunday Best within a week. Notice that there is no mention of boho in that mix. I’m not sure what it is about that particular trend that I find not for me. My workaholic nature probably won’t embrace the concept of a light and relaxed style. Anyway, that changed once I saw this floral print kimono on the Wet Seal Instagram feed I wanted to see what I could do with this new addition to my closet. I’ve teamed up with fellow “budgetista”, Angelica from Affordable Curve for some transitional style inspo, make sure to check out her looks here.

Look # 1 : Breezy & Dressy

With this kimono’s dramatic bell sleeves and  floral blossom print on a brilliant blue background I immediately thought about sizing up to wear this as a dress only to realize I should have sized up two sizes because of my large bust.  When that original idea didn’t pan out I thought, why not wear it over a dress? I love the mix of silk, jersey and faux leather textures here. I swapped the fabric belt for my new faux leather obi belt I managed to score from Torrid last month for less than $2! (Note: Always check the clearance section between seasons.) The strap front pep toe heels are a step above the heeled sandals that I would usually wear to the office during the summer. For a more conservative professional look I could swap them for flats or closed front pumps.

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Summer Weekend BBQ Ready (feat. Lovesick)

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Summer is here and that means fun in the sun with family and friends.  One of my favorite summer activities are barbeques. There is something to be said about how much better hot dogs, burgers and even fish taste fresh off the grill.  Anyway, while I am still working on organizing one, I  happy to know that I have my outfits ready for the occasion.  So  with this  Independence day weekend already in full swing,  I figured why not celebrate in style with my new favorite pieces from Lovesick., the affordable sister brand of Torrid.

Lovesick officially launched in late April with most of the pieces clearly having a more boho vibe, which is far away from my usual  style; this is not to say that I haven’t given it a try in the past.  Though it is nice to have a new affordable plus size fashion brand out there and I also greatly appreciate the fact that when you make a purchase Lovesick donates 1% to Plan International USA’s Because I am a Girl project. Their projects are designed to end the cycle of poverty and to empower girls through education. They use the funds donated to provide tuition, uniforms and school supplies to girls around the world.  As someone who has been homeless due to poverty, and has also volunteered for a the women’s empowerment non-profit (4 Real Women International, Inc.) for the last 5 years, this is a cause I am more than happy to support.

That said, check out my two Summer BBQ inspired looks styled with two of my first Lovesick purchases.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

Look #1: Oversized Boho

This gauze fabric top with sharkbite hem was made for summer. It is really lightweight and airy so you can stay cool in the summer heat. Unfortunately by the time I finally got around to placing my order they no longer had any in a my usual size, yet I feel that going up a size gives this look a more laid-back fit.  I paired it with these midrise jean shorts I got early fall last year. As you can imagine, shopping out of season I scored a major steal, but more than that I had some time to work up the courage to actually wearing these.  It took me 8 years before I started wearing shorts again and these are currently the shortest pair I own, yet they won’t be the last.

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theCURVYcon 2016 Recap

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Last year marked the first ever annual Curvycon and as you can guess, I was beyond upset at the fact that I couldn’t attend. So I made a point to get my ticket for this year’s con early so I wouldn’t miss out. This was incredibly important to me because Cece Olisa and Chastity Garner were the two first plus size bloggers I found when I was introduced to the medium.  Words cannot express how significant this event is for the body positive and self love movements. There was just this feeling of love within every aspect of the event that I just had to share my experience.

Day 1 – Healthy Curves Workout and  Pop-Up-Shop + Sip hosted by Gabifresh

The morning started with sessions hosted by blogger and CURVYcon co-creator, CeCe Olisa, and fitness guru, Anowa Adjah. I must say that they were not playing around with this workout which made me glad that I came prepared. It felt great to workout in a non-judgmental space with body positive instructors. I especially appreciated how both Cece and Anowa made it fun and educational, stressing that working out is not punishment for the body you have but rather a form of self love.

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That funny moment when you run into an event a full half hour late only to find your instagram post on the screen

That funny moment when you run into an event a full half hour late only to find your Instagram post on the Tagboard screen.

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Full Figured Fashion Week Day 4*

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While my morning started at theCurvyCon, I made my way over to Lord & Taylor for my last FFFweek event. I got to spend time with my new blogger friends at the VIP reception where we got to spend some time with the models prior to their summer fashion presentation.

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Emily from Something Gold, Something Blue blog and I at the Lord & Taylor VIP reception. It took all week but we finally got some downtime to take a selfie together.

The fashion show included pieces from brands available for sale at Lord & Taylor. The outfits covered almost every situation you can think of such as sleep, going to the gym, working in an office and date night.  Take a look at some of my favorite styles below. While Lord & Taylor isn’t  always budget-friendly, now is the best time to shop there because they are having their friends and family sale until tomorrow, June 20 so if any of the styles from this “Best of Spring 2016” presentation peaks your interest go to your  nearest Lord & Taylor location and try to nab them for a lower price! Continue reading →