Happy Valentine's Day

Hello Hello Lovers!!

I wanted to share a little red monochrome look for Valentine’s Day. Even though I am not the biggest fan of the holiday, I will say that over the years, the switch from it just being all about romantic partners to opening it up to celebrate yourself, or your best gal pal, has me thinking differently. Now don’t get me wrong, I am still not going out on V-day, I rather do something low-key like have dinner at the house., but this look is definitely something you can wear to work, enjoying some grub with your favorite gal pal, or catching a concert with your boo!

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I received this great sweater for Christmas from KayJay. It’s a super chunky turtleneck cropped number from Astra Signature. Astra Signature is a brand created by blogger Sometimes Glam. I own several pieces from her line and I have yet to be disappointed with anything of hers. I have a soft spot for chunky knits and this one is my new fave. I’m wearing a 2X and it fits perfectly. It’s definitely cute with its bold color, but this sweater kept me warm which is major. Shooting in the winter can be tough, but this sweater did a great job of keeping the cold out.

Loving this pink lip with an all red look. Lippie is called It’s Happening!

Loving this pink lip with an all red look. Lippie is called It’s Happening!

When one loves and wears a bunch of cropped items, I wear them with high waisted bottoms. Either a skirt that sits high on my waist or high waisted pants. Paperbag pants have been all over the place, and when I saw these bright red ones on sale, I added them to the cart immediately. These came with a belt, but when I tied it a bow or knotted it, I wasn’t feeling . The pants have a bit of stretch to them, so I went with a 16. The pleating around the waist is a nice touch. It’s one of those pants that calls for you to tuck in your top and show it off and if you are not the type to tuck your tops in, they still look good regardless.

Eloquii Paper Bag Pants

Since I was rocking all this red goodness, I went with my white booties and moto. This is definitely a look that wither worn together or separately the pieces play well together or still can be stand out pieces with other looks. I would wear the sweater with a leopard skirt and gold metallic shoes, or the pants with a long line denim jacket belted. You really can’t go wrong. So what are your plans for Vday? Staying home, going out, pretending it doesn’t exist…let me know in the comments!

Eloquii Pants

Winter White

Wearing white after Labor Day has been up for debate over the years. For me, I stopped taking this as a mandatory rule. I love white, and it looks great against melanin, so any chance I can wear it, I will. I’ve been living with the wear what you want mantra for some time, but last year things changed a bit and wearing white was not an option.

Now I know your body changes as you get older, but I was experiencing longer, heavier periods. It happened over time. One month I would be fine, the next extremely tired, and then the next back to a lot of pain. I was out in Atlanta for TCF while I was on my period. No big deal right? Wrong, after 5 days my period would not go away. I had an appointment scheduled with my gyn so I was going to go in and ask a lot of questions. By the time I visited her, I was on day 10 of my period. It was heavy and I just felt like my whole body was out of wack. I told her my issues, and she set me up for an ultrasound. I asked her could it be fibroids, (cause I was googling my symptoms trying to figure out something), and she told me it’s possible or it could be cysts. Though nervous, I needed to know what was going on with me and scheduled the ultrasound.

I found out I have not 1, but 3 fibroids. I was told they vary in size from 1-3 cm’s which are small, but I was still concerned. I thought once I received confirmation they were fibroids that would be the end of it, but no. Limit my stress, and change up my diet, simple enough. The ultrasound also showed a thickened uterine lining, so then they required a MRI because that was not normal for someone that is not pregnant. Here it is day 21 and I’m still bleeding. I attended Curvy Con with cramping, and a full blown cycle, but I made sure I rested and took my vitamins to keep up my strength. It’s hard dealing with something that you don’t really understand. One minute I would be fine, the next painful cramps and heavy bleeding. I avoided wearing anything light colored. I was constantly running to the bathroom. I’m not going to lie. I was scared. If my fibroids were small how could they be causing all this havoc on my body. I got the MRI, and it didn’t show anything. Well isn’t that wonderful- I felt like I was back at square one. Yes I knew what was causing issues, but having a period for a month at that point was cruel. I was mentally and physically exhausted at that point. My gyn decided that it could be time to switch my birth control. She felt that trying a birth control with a lower hormone would be better . Also, the last test she wanted to me to get was a uterine scrape. Yes you heard that right, a scrape. They scrape a sample from your uterus and test it for irregularities and cancer. I was not looking forward to it, but you gotta do what you gotta do. By the time I went to take that test my period finally stopped, and I was starting to feel better. The biopsy came back negative, so for now its about keeping these fibroids small by taking care of myself. I have been working on limiting my stress, and walking more, and getting more rest.

It’s been a couple of months since my diagnosis and I feel confident again to wear light colored clothing. I was soo afraid of having an accident I was avoiding everything. When I saw this cute set on Target’s website, I was at first not going to get it, but I knew I had to stop living in fear and go back to wearing what I want. The set was soo cute that I could not pass it up, and I went ahead and ordered. Who What Wear has been cranking out hits. There is always something from their monthly drops that I love. I got the sweatshirt in a 1X and its a great comfy piece to wear any time. The matching sweatpants are equally comfy and have a stretchy waistband. I do wish they had a drawstring, just cause sometimes waistbands can start to give, but regardless I still like them. Both pieces will be in heavy rotation. I decided to go all out with white and pair it with my white moto from Eloquii. I can safely say that this moto addict has the full spectrum of the rainbow (and I am not in the least bit ashamed about it #shopaholic). I ended out my look with my flatform oxfords from the Atlantic Pacific x Halogen collaboration from Nordstrom and a cute pom pom hat (both are sold out unfortunately).

I figured for this look, I would shoot it in front of an ice cream shop. Ice cream and wearing white has been associated with the summer, but now no one cares. Wear white, enjoy some delectable ice cream in the middle of January. For all my fellow women dealing with fibroids, don’t let them stop you from wearing what you want. Go to your doctor and seek alternatives, because you deserve to live your life without fear. I know this post was longer than most, but I really wanted to share my story. I know that I was scared and it was with the support of my friends and boyfriend, and a doctor that listened to my concerns and not tell me that my weight was to blame for my issues that I am able to get back to same old Jami.

Travel Gear

When I travel, I like to be comfortable. Now comfort at the end of the day is purely relative. One could say heels and a dress is what's most comfortable for them, but for me it's all about athleisure based gear. I wear things like tee's, hoodie's, and looser pants when I am traveling. 

Since the weather is getting better (finally), I can wear lighter based layers for travel. One of my go to items is a lightweight sweater. Now everyone knows that I love graphic tee's, but now I am finding cute graphic sweaters like this one from Loft. The L'Amour graphic sweater was a part of Loft's first plus collection and was definitely a hit. So much of a hit that is sold out quickly. Since the plus size option sold out soo quickly, I ordered the XXL from the straight size line, and it fit well. So if you are around a size 20 or less you could wear their straight size options. There is a new navy sweater just in time for the summer that says "Summer Vibes", I think I may get this one too. 

Another item that is always with me when I am traveling is a jacket. There are times where the plane or terminal can be cold, so I like to have either a denim jacket or moto with me. Also there has been plenty of times that the weather is ok when I land, but a random rain shower pops up, or just a windy day requires a jacket. Like my momma says, If you stay ready you don't have to get ready...lol

Eloquii Track Pants

I remember when track pants were only worn by athletes. Now they are just a part of everyday life. I have several pairs in my closet, and these wide leg ones from Eloquii are my new favorite. My love of wide leg pants continues and these fit me like a glove. I sized up to a 18 since there was no stretch. These are great for anyone on the shorter side since they do not drag on the floor. That usually one of my issues with wide leg pants, the length is usually way too long that it require heels. 

To finish up my whole comfy vibe, the last piece is a good pair of sneakers. I've always been a sneaker girl, but the last couple of years I have really ditched my heels and just went back to cool looking sneaks. My new favs are from the oh so awesome Rihanna. Her Fenty by Puma collections are always soo cool. This season the theme was motocross, and the fashion show was amazing. The Fenty Avid is amazing. No seriously, this sneaker is not only cool looking but it super stretchy and its comfortable. I wore these all day when I had to shoot and run errands and I was good. If you are in need of a good Spring sneaker, check these out. 

So what do you wear when you travel? Are you all about comfort, but still put together, or do you go all out? Let me know below!!!