Summer Weekend BBQ Ready (feat. Lovesick)

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

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*

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

Full Figured Fashion Week – Day 3*

The Full Figured Fashion Week adventures continued with the Celebrate My Size Expo. This event a sneak peek at fall collections, and sample sales from brands like Ashley Stewart, Lane Bryant, Yona New York and Courtney Noelle. With samples sales, contests and photo ops/networking with other bloggers, this was the highlight of my FFFWeek experience thus far.

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Latina plus size bloggers FTW! Got the chance to meet the wonderful Suzanne of SustyleTV. I have been following her since I started the blog last year. Definitely check her out on Instagram.

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Full Figured Fashion Week Day 1 & 2*

Full Figured Fashion week started this past Sunday and I couldn’t be any more excited. This is my first year attending some events and while I didn’t get the chance to go to some of the signature ones, I will be recapping my experience on the blog up until this weekend a.k.a. The Curvy Con!

Day 1-  Redefining Healthy Panel

This afternoon event hosted by Darlene of Suits, Heels and Curves, was so inspiring and empowering that I can’t even put to words. The workshop with its panel, conversation circle, makeup tutorial and Vixen workout covered the importance of self love, mental health, claiming your sexy, cultivating your style, and putting your best face on; all stressing that size does not determine your worth, beauty or your health. #iamredefininghealthy from here on out.

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Darlene welcoming everyone to this empowering event.

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