It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Hi Beauties!

It's holiday season and I couldn't be more excited! I love this season for fashion and nothing makes a bigger impact than a feather sweater, tutu, and red pumps. Ha! I know this look can be considered a little out of the norm but what better time to go all out and strut your stuff? Plus with these high temperatures this look keeps things easy breezy.

This look began back in October when I walked into my local Charlotte Russe looking for a cute top to wear out. Instead I walked out of the store with a beautiful, white, $5 tutu. Yes, you read that right. Five Dollars!! I can't remember why or what sale was going on but I knew right then a winter look would be the result.

The holidays came at me FAST. We just relocated to NC in late October. So pulling together this look had to be effortless and easy. I had no time to shop for hours or hit various stores.


Get The Look:

Top: I used a sweater from a previous blog post Catch it here. You can find a similar sweater at Ashley Stewart for only $36!

Skirt: Charlotte Russe. Sadly it's no longer $5 BUT they are having a lot of mega sales so keep checking.
Shoes: Just Fab They are sold out but Citi Trends has a few sizes left of the same shoe with the nice price of $20

I hope you and the ones you love have a wonderful holiday season!

Until Next Time......

xoxoxoxoxo

I'm Back And I'm Better

Hi Beauties!

I've missed you all. A LOT has happened in the past few months for me and my family so blogging took a backseat. I titled this "I'm Back And I'm Better" because that's truly how I feel about this blogging passion of mine. I will hit my year anniversary in January and I have learned so much in such a little amount of time. I'm working on a Youtube video now of my feelings, upcoming videos, and my plans for my year anniversary giveaway. Stay tuned! But for now let's get back to these clothes honey!

First and foremost this Fashion To Figure dress gives my curves the right amount of bodycon without going over the top. The draping is EVERYTHING! I purchased this dress a few months ago so the dress is no longer available BUT I will list a close option below for those of you that want to recreate this fall look.

Get the Look:
Hair: Her Hair Company
Dress: Fashion to Figure
Shoes: Torrid (sold out) Find similar here
Coat: BooHoo

 I paired the dress with this GORGEOUS Camel colored coat from BooHoo.com. Draped coats have been so on trend lately so I had to get my hands on one. It didn't break the bank either because you know I love fashion on a budget!

I usually NEVER take back photos because they look horrible. But this one turned out cute. Plus you can see the lengths of these two gorgeous garments!!!

I'm keeping this post short and sweet. Today is black Friday and I want you ladies to snag these pieces on a DEAL. 

Thank you for still rocking with me. Until next time.....

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Vanity Curves Collaboration

Hi Beauties!

I'm back with another blog post, this time highlighting a boutique here in the Dallas area. None other than Vanity Curves Boutique!

I recently celebrated my 29th birthday on August 26th. I wanted to step out of my usual comfort zone with this outfit for my birthday. I would describe this look as......interesting. Ha! :)

So! Mixing prints was the plan. My blogging Shero, Lisa from www.theshoppingslayer.com, said this skirt would be perfect with a mixed print. I took that suggestion and created a look that I loved. This look may be out there for some, which I get since the different prints are SO bold, but I completely adore it. I felt pretty on my birthday. As a women feeling pretty is an amazing feeling, so I went with it.

Get the Look:

Tribal Necklace: Forever 21
Printed Body Suit: I can't remember :( If anyone knows the boutique I purchased from please tag or send me a message, I'd love to give credit to them. It was a 3am splurge buy back in December. Don't judge me.
Skirt: Vanity Curves Boutique
Shoes: Torrid

Storytime: How I learned about Vanity Curves Boutique

So about 2 months ago, I was invited to my very first meet and greet. I was excited because it was held at a local boutique, the guest of honor was the talented  plus size designer Chenese Lewis, and finally I could rub elbows with some of DFW's baddest BBW's. The boutique is SUPER cute and was decorated beautifully. The first person that walked up to me was Kristen, the owner, making sure I was warmly welcomed and showed me the items in the store. I love a woman with excellent customer service. Add to that the cleanliness and professionalism throughout the store I was sold. Looking around I eyed this beautiful full skirt with a nice bold print. These skirts have been on trend and I had to have it. The fit was perfect, I wear a 2X, this skirt fits me like it was made especially for me. The prices were also great because as y'all know I'm not dropping stacks on my clothing. I know there are quality clothing and stores that don't require you to spend your entire paycheck on fashion and Vanity Curves Boutique is shopper friendly!

I really hope you click the link to this local boutique. She has amazing pieces for you ladies to buy. If you are local she also has various events held at her store front and a glam bar for those ladies who are looking for hair, makeup,and fashion all in one location. Happy Shopping and tell Kristen I sent you!


Until next time....
xoxoxoxoxo

Sunshine and Thick Thighs

Hi Beauties!

I wanted to do a "swimsuit"post and share some of my vacation photos with you. Me and my family drove down to Corpus Christi, TX for some well deserved fun and relaxation. The sunshine, the cool breeze, and the beach was just what we needed!

A lot of plus bloggers did their swimsuit posts earlier in the year, which is great for those that have planned vacations. For me, I work A LOT, and unfortunately with the career that I chose a lot of my vacation time gets cancelled due to my school needing me. So having a vacation on the calendar doesn't mean I'm going. Furthermore, I fluctuate in weight and sizes. If I were to purchase a swimsuit in February, I may or may not be able to fit it in July. I may be 2 sizes down or up and with fatkinis you want a good fit.

So I decided to make a post for my "last minute" beauties who are doing the impromptu vacations, deciding toward the end of the summer to take a splurge and show their belly, or the ladies who genuinely didn't realize that to find all the swimsuits they love they needed to shop months ago. LOL ;) As always I will link my personal outfits but I will also link some places that still have swimsuits. Happy shopping!


Bohemian Babe:

Fringe Swimsuit: EyeCandy Inc Boutique
Bohemian Kimono: Fashion To Figure (psstt..40% off going on right now)
Shades: Find Similar Lane Bryant
Shoes and Bag: JustFab
Skirt: From my "Sexy Starburst" post

My look revolved around the swimsuit. I am absolutely addicted to fringe. The top has REALLY great hold and the fringe covers me without being restricting. I definitely plan to re-wear the top in a non-swim way. I can see it already. When I saw the kimono from FTF, I figured I'd go the bohemian route. Picked up some"groovy" shades from my local Lane Bryant, added a big white gold studded bag, and a pop of color with my skirt to finish off this look. I'm really happy about how it turned out.

On to the next look.....

Vise-Versa:

Pink Half Shirt: It's Fashion Metro

Swimsuit Top: Lane Bryant

Swimsuit Bottom: Find Similar Forever 21+ 

Skirt: Find Similar Forever 21+

                                                 

When wearing swimsuits everyone is at a different confidence levels. Even though the "fatkini" movement is strong, I still wanted to demonstrate how a swimsuit and cover-up can work for different body types. I personally always decide if I'm showing off my upper or lower body. I never show off both at the same time. Not because it violates a fashion rule but it makes me feel comfortable doing one or the other. If you ever look at my photos you'll notice that if my legs are out, my top is more covered or vise-versa. With that being said I wanted to highlight both options in this look. Both the skirt and the half top were old items from my closet that I reused for this look. Look in your own closet for pieces that could double as cover-ups before going out to shop for one. I felt great in both looks. Of course they were SUPER comfy, no pinching or pulling for me.

If you're still looking for swimwear look at these websites:

Eyecandy Inc Boutique

Forever 21+

Lane Bryant

Asos

Always for Me

Swimsuits for All

Monif C

Also keep in mind if these sites have a actual store, the store may have the swim pieces at a lower discount as they are gearing up for fall and need the rack space. So if you have the time, walking into your local store may totally be worth the trip. Nothing like sunshine and thick thighs to set the summer off! Go get you some.

Until next time......

xoxoxxo

**Keep in mind these are TRUE vacation photos. No photographer, no edits, no lighting adjustments, nothing! Just my family snapping pictures on my Samsung.**

Hometown Homage

Hi Beauties,

Although I now live in the Dallas, TX area, I am from Durham, NC also known as the "Bull City". I haven't lived in the state of North Carolina for years but it's my home and I love it. The t-shirts featured, the song for my promo video, and the blog featured with me and my husbands hilarious version of our love story all are from the talented minds of North Carolina. Enjoy :)

Moving away from home really makes you appreciate all the little things. Seeing these t-shirts were a bit nostalgic for me and I knew I had to do them justice in a blog post. I thought this would also be a great opportunity to show how to style a baby tee and make it cute and fun.

I went heavy on the accessories even busting out my cute new fanny pac and leather skater skirt to set off the look. I rounded it out with knee high socks and my husbands Jordans. I personally don't wear sneakers enough to really buy them for myself but I have huge feet. The one plus side of that is I can wear my husbands shoes. So when I need sneakers it's only a closet stroll away.

 I absolutely love  the site www.blackrepublikclothing.com. The clothing is dope and the fit was perfect. My husband enjoyed it too. He loves his hometown as much as I do. Although we would never walk out of the house with matching shirts we came together for this fun photo shoot to show our support of this brand. Go check out the site and get you some flyness!

Get The Look:

Necklace find similar here
Shirt find here
Fanny pac SOLD OUT find similar here
Skirt find here
Shoes your local Foot Locker

 A few years ago a talented blogger wrote me and my husband's love story but I like to refer to it as a thug story. It is absolutely hilarious although the events aren't true. Anyway enjoy this talented blogger Luther Van Bawse and our story, link below:

Our Love Story  

Of course we had to throw up the "BullCity"sign to finish out our shoot. Ha! :)

Until next time....
xoxoxoxo

Shabby Apple Collaboration

Hi Beauties!

I'm excited to announce my first big collaboration with Shabby Apple! Check out a few of my photos and my take on the brand below.

So first let's do a little shopping lesson. A "straight sized store" refers to a store that does not carry plus sizes but rather the traditional sizes of 2-12, as of late, some straight stores are running up to a size 16. Remember NEVER limit your shopping experiences! Shop the men's department, shop the straight stores, shop the thrift and "cheap" stores because you can ALWAYS find gems there just waiting for you to buy them.

So Shabby Apple is a clothing store for straight sized women. *record scratch* Yes, you read right. I am featuring a straight sized store on a plus size blog. LOL :) As soon as you load the Shabby Apple webpage you will quickly see why. Their clothes are absolutely beautiful! 

When shopping the main priority should be fit, followed by price, then availability. The fit to this dress is EVERYTHING!!! It is a size 16 and traditionally I am a size 22. The dress has LOTS of stretch and fits me like a perfect bodycon dress. The cute sash brings the bold print to life in this solid colored show stopper.

Get The Look:

Dress found here

Shoes found here

Happy Shopping Beauties! I really hope you go to the Shabby Apple site and take a look at their gorgeous garments. The sizing chart will help with your sizing questions and they have tulle skirts worth swooning over.

Until Next Time,

xoxoxoxo

*Dress provided by Shabby Apple, however ideas and statements are solely from me*

Taking on Trends: Maxi Shirt

Hi Beauties,

I'm back with my first installment of "Taking on Trends". There are so many stylish, fun, and cute trends going around. I will show you my spin on them and styling suggestions to make them pop!

 

Trends have been a part of fashion from day one. Trends will forever be in the fabric of our clothing. The trick is to try and make a trendy piece timeless and flexible to your own personal style. For example since I'm tall and wide hipped the length of this maxi shirt cut off my shape and left me looking "box" like. I opted to tie up the front to give the front of my outfit a visual rest. GwynnieBee.com hooked me up in the plaid show stopper!

Since I am always referring you to GwynnieBee.com AND because love my beauties SO much, I am gifting you a FREE month to gwynniebee.com. Make your closet lush so that you can benefit from this extensive closet of clothing. If you end the trail before your 30 days NO money will be charged to you, if you love it and decide to keep it you will see ALL the amazing benefits of being a Gwynnie Girl. Just copy and paste the code below and start TODAY!! Happy Shopping!

http://goo.gl/WUzE2N

 

Maxi Shirts have been huge lately. Especially in the plus size world. What's not to love? The length is flattering on different body types, it can be dressed up or down, and it's affordable! This Maxi Shirt has the bold red and black plaid print that gives it a strong urban feel to me. As I said before I chose to tie the front up to better show off my figure. This would pair well with a large waist belt to accentuate your curves as well. Just be mindful if you are wearing a print like mine that the belt doesn't get lost. 

 

I paired this with black skinny jeans, bold accessories, and block heeled sandals. Done! Love an easy outfit that looks FIERCE! This would definitely be my recommendation for a dressed down date night or a cute shopping/out and about look. I turned a few heads with the big hair, big cleavage, and bold shirt! LOL :)

Get the look:

Plaid Maxi Shirt: Find Here

Black Skinny Jeans: Find Here $18 Yassss!!!

Sandals: Here Black is sold out but Chestnut is available

Until next time,
xoxoxoxo

Women and Shoes Magazine Spotlight

Hi Beauties!

How excited am I to tell you about the newest edition of Women and Shoes Magazine? Very! This magazine is full of great articles and features about, you guessed it, Women and Shoes! They highlight designers, bring you the hottest footwear, and feature beautiful models. Everything one can ask for in a magazine is here. I was lucky enough to be apart of an amazing article entitled "Plus Size Rocks Too!". The author, Shawana Gatlin, lists some amazing shops that cater to the plus size community. She also writes about how far the the plus size community has come and how WE are now in the forefront of fashion. Great article! I love that us big girls are getting recognized. We are proving everyday that we deserve great fashion and we are conquering the fashion world one garment at a time. Articles like these and the magazines that allow them to be written and printed should be celebrated in a big way. We need to have more dialog like this to show the error in anyone saying what a plus size woman can and can't wear. I am ecstatic that I was included in the article and along some great plus bloggers. Thank you!
Ready, set, go! I'm putting the link to the magazine below. Best part? It's free to download!  I love this magazine is digital because let's be honest carrying around a paper magazine feels so 1992. LOL! Hurry and get your hands on this hot issue as well as subscribe to get upcoming magazines.

Until Next Time,
xoxoxoxo


http://womenandshoesmag.com/product/women-and-shoes-magazine-7th-issue-apr-may-2015-digital/

Crowned in Flowers

Hi Beauties,

We are here! We made it to the the end of my Spring Look Book posts. I truly hope you have enjoyed my looks as much as I have loved bringing them to you! Look back at "Sexy Starburst" and "Finally Fringe" in case you missed them.

"Crowned in Flowers"

Lately the flower head bands have been making a strong come back. When I saw this one in Forever 21, I knew it had to have it. First off the flowers are full and bright. Secondly it has an elastic back that is really good for big headed folks like me. Ha! I fell in love with flowered headbands as a young fashionista, first watching the movie Forest Gump. When Jenny stepped out of the house, crowned in flowers, ready to be married. Yea, age check on that one. But the look goes from 1994 to 2015 effortlessly.

Charlotte Russe has recently launched their plus size line. I, of course, HAD to check them out. I've shopped Charlotte Russe for years for their jewelry and shoes. So I couldn't wait to get my hands on some cute new looks for the spring season. I purchased 2 items one being this acid washed, zip front, crop top. I'm large breasted so the 3X fits like it was made just for me. I also purchased a skirt that you will surely see in another blog post in the future. I keep checking the site and they have some really cute show stoppers. Make sure to take a look at their plus section!

Get the Look:

Flower Headband: Find similar here
Acid Wash Crop: Sold Out but www.charlotterusse.com
Skirt: Forever 21+ from 2 years ago
Gold Plated Snake Skin Gladiators:  Find similar here

Thank you for all of the support. I have some great things lined up, can't wait to share them with you!!! Happy Spring Beauties!

Until next time......

xoxoxoxoxo