Sweet Like Deadly Nightshade

Fun fact: When I was growing up, my father had major aspirations of my brother and I becoming child models. Every so often he would put up a white bedsheet on one of the walls in the living room, get some props and outfits together and we’d have our own photoshoot sessions right at home. I still have the albums full of the photos including the professional ones that he had done to send to modeling agencies. Neither my brother or I ever got a modeling contract as kids (Not for lack of trying, I mean we were adorable but I guess that wasn’t enough, hahaha) but at the very least we have the memories.

At the start of quarantine last year, my brother was actually the first one to point out that I could not use the pandemic as an excuse for not continuing to take photos and create content. According to him, I’ve been “trained for in-house photoshoots” and now I even have more space to work with than we did growing up. I initially disagreed because working in one space can be pretty limiting, but in time I took up the challenge, working around issues with lightening (my apartment is intentionally dark in certain spaces) and even did some much needed furniture/decor shopping which I had put off for the last 2 years.

I’ve done quite a bit of shooting at home as a result, some of which I haven’t shared yet, but I wanted to try my hand at something “different” for this new year. So armed with my trusty tripod, selfie light, new make up, new bedding and a lux velvet set I bought as a Christmas gift to myself, I figured it was time to try something way, way outside of my comfort zone – my own boudoir shoot. Continue reading

The Roaring ’20s (and 30s)

Like most people (I like to think that I’m not the only one that does this) I make grandiose goals for myself. Its not even something I do at the start of a new year as a resolution, but just in general as a way to motivate me. So I struggle whenever I don’t meet the expectations I set for myself.  It is very unlikely that I will stop this habit any time soon, yet even with the challenges thrown my way and my disappointments (of which there were MANY in 2019), I took the time to celebrate the small victories I had in the decade that was my twenties.

Given my history with anxiety, depression and suicidal idealization (all of which are topics that I hope to cover on here soon), I never expected to even make it to my current age, let alone enter another decade of life. And that’s what makes 2020 and turning thirty so frightening to me.

Even so, I have a whole new set of goals in mind for this year and the rest of this new decade. I figure sharing some of them will help keep me honest and maybe motivate anyone that may be starting the year off on a bit of a low point to look at what comes next as chance for self-growth and greater adventures. Continue reading

New Year, New Wardrobe Refresh!

2019 is finally here and with that comes the resolutions, new goals and of course changes to one’s closet. For me this means getting rid of things that I didn’t use the year before as well as doing a bit of a “refresh” in adding some new pieces that I can use with what I already have.

I personally love shopping once the holiday season ends because the end of season sales that are happening right now  provide a great way to refresh your closet  From coats, bathing suits and even shoes, you can literally build a new wardrobe should you really wish to, all without breaking the bank!

So on the final weekend of 2018 I headed out to Long Island with my mother to do just that. I managed to get some items, two of which I styled for this casual look.  It is as step away from what I usually go for though it is very comfy so if anything this is something I will be wearing during my next shopping recon trip and may even next fall to go pumpkin picking.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.

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Big City, Curvy Girl, Thin Wallet Turns 1 – Revisiting My First Blog Post

BCT turns 1

As of last Monday (January 11), my blog is officially a year old. My first post was “2015- New Year, New Things To Try”  in which I wrote about the trends that I wanted to try during the year. As I continued to write posts and featuring  this list was always in the back of my mind, as I took it as a public declaration to myself to break out of my comfort zone and try new things. So I thought with it being a full year (and a week) later a good way to commemorate the blogiversary of Big City, Curvy Girl, Thin Wallet would be to take a look at that list and checking off my progress. Continue reading

When You Are Laid-off Before the Holidays…

I am unemployed. Those are three words I did not even think I would be saying at the start of the new year. (If anything I thought it would have been more along the lines of , “I got promoted.” ) The unfortunate reality is that the business world lacks humane decisions and when it comes to creating budgets for the upcoming new year they have no problem with making the staff “leaner” by vastly reducing its numbers regardless of the festive holiday season. I, like many others in the world, was a casualty of this practice, which brought on feelings and thoughts I was not anticipating. True, nothing lasts forever but when you have been working for approximately 2 years just get your foot in the door only to have it slam in your face, like I have, it makes you feel like you failed and stand no chance in actually starting a career. You blame yourself even though there was nothing you could do to change the decision, but through it all, here are some things you should remember: Continue reading