Weekend Getaway Pt. 2

My last day in Philly was a gorgeous 60 degree day. Georgette and I decided that for my last day was to grab some brunch and then head to the Philadelphia Museum to check out their latest exhibit. 

The weather was perfect for this sweater dress. I love how soft and stretchy it is, while being super cozy. Since it's stretchy I was able to get this in a size 14/16 and it fit perfectly. I am all about layering in fall so this vest in my favorite color was a great addition. The vest (which is on sale!!) is a wool blend that definitely kept me warm while out and about. My favorite part of the vest is the fact that you can belt it to make it look like a chic over piece. The length is perfect for me and it's great piece that you can throw on and look instantly put together. Vests have been my go to this season and this one has been on heavy rotation. 

Lastly, let's talk about these glitter Chelsea booties. When Eloquii announced their Fall shoe collection, this was the one shoe I had to have. The bootie definitely is a show stopper, but it still looks great with so many statement pieces. I got these in a size 8W and they fit perfectly. I wore these for over 6 hours and I did not have the least bit of discomfort. These come in blue velvet and black faux suede, so if you are looking for a new bootie give these a try.  To add a color to my monochrome look, I added my favorite dark lippie and my See By Chloe tote. Georgette and I had a great time at brunch and the exhibit was amazing. I had a great weekend filled with fun, friends, all while enjoying an amazing city. This is not the last Philly will see of this blogger, and I hope you get a chance to check the city out as well. 

Weekend Getaway

You got a chance to see all the things that I go to do while I was in Philly with Grown & Curvy Woman, now you get the chance to see what I wore while enjoying my time away from home. While I was enjoying the Walking Tour, the weather was sunny but a little chilly. It was the perfect opportunity to wear some of my favorite pieces from Eloquii's fall collection. 

We had a little time while walking to take pictures in front of this massive, colorful mural.

While walking around, I all about wearing layers that can keep me at a good temperature. I can get hot easily so the worse thing I can do is wear a lot of layers while walking and get hot and sweaty to then take them all off. We all know when you play that game, you end up getting sick. I went with the Tie Waist Cape for my afternoon in Philly. I first got a chance to try on this coat over the summer when I visited the Eloquii team at their NYC office. It is great for those cool sunny days. The camel color pairs well with everything, and it has massive pockets to store all of your essentials. It kept me warm out in these Philly streets, and I was looking good while doing it. Can't ask for anything more. 

Keeping it cute and cozy!!!

Fall for me is all about sweater weather. I love me a good sweater. When the temps drop, I would feel as though you had to sacrifice warmth for looking good. I'm glad that is no longer the case. I Never one to shy away from ruffles, I wore the ruffle striped sweater with my favorite pants, the Kady. I love stripes, so in a sweater it was a must have in my closet. This sweater goes with anything in your closet. Definitely get this one!! I paired my sweater with my favorite pant: Kady. I never have owned a pair of pants in multiple colors. Most pants are either too long or do not come up high enough on my waist. Kady has my back....literally. I'm always on the look out for great flats, and these gold ones are wonderful. When it comes to flats, there are a lot that do not provide adequate support, but these wide width ones held up during my two hour walk around town. I definitely want to get these in another color, because finding a wide width shoe that looks good and doesn't rub. 

My Saturday in Philly was so much fun. Checking out the murals, had brunch, and just enjoyed the experience. There are times when I get so bogged down with my to do lists, and work that before I know it, months go by. The lists may never go away, but I am learning to be ok with taking time out to just enjoy life. 

Visit Philly

The first time I visited Philly, it was eight years ago. Even though the city was in transition with all the construction, it still was one of my favorite cities. Fast forward to last weekend, I headed back to the City of Brotherly Love to hang out with my blogger boo Grown & Curvy Woman. In conjunction with Visit Philly, we wanted to show all that the city of Philadelphia has to offer. Not only is it a great vacation spot (it's only 2 hours away from NYC), there is so much to do in the city it's even great for staycationers (Grown & Curvy Woman lives in Philly). If you didn't get a chance to see some behind the scenes on Snapchat and IG (follow me @styleoversize) here is all that I saw during my weekend stay.

Walking Mural Tour

On Saturday, Georgette and I took part in the Mural Mile Walking Tour. The program was created in the 80's to encourage artists to create art in their communities and to deter graffiti. Cheyenne, our tour guide took us through the city and explained the history of the murals. Philly has over 1000 murals around the city, and some murals are maintained, repurposed to display new art, or even created in conjunction with those in the community. For example, the third mural was created alongside children participating in the arts program. The artist then took all the different pictures from the children and combined all the art into a cohesive mural. As a wall girl, getting a chance to see all the different art created was eye opening. There are so many murals in this city, it's easy to just walk or drive by and not give it a second look. To learn some of the pieces and the inspiration behind it was pretty amazing. The tour is two hours so make sure you have on some layers and comfortable shoes. You will not be disappointed. 

Reading Terminal Market

When you think of Philly, you think of the arts, the Liberty Bell, but Philly is starting to become known for the great restaurants. For foodies, Reading Terminal Market is the place to be. From burgers, to sushi, to Amish chicken, this is the place to go if you want to be in a food coma. There is a buffet, several places to buy fresh seafood, and all the desserts you could possibly want. Walking through the market is an experience all in itself because it is packed with people heading to different vendors to get their fix. I have a major sweet tooth, so I tried the red velvet layer cake in the last picture. When it comes to mini cakes, especially red velvet a lot of the time the icing seeps into the cake and makes it mushy. Not this cake. The layers and the cake was just perfection. If you love cannoli's and mini cake, definitely check out the Termini Bro's Bakery. This place has something even for the pickiest of eaters, so you must make it your mission to check it out. 

Philadelphia Museum of Art

On my last day in Philly, we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to check out their latest exhibit, Paint The Revolution: Mexican Modernism. The art featured spanned from the 1910's-1950's. Artists such as Frida Kahlo (one of my favorite artists of all time), Diego Rivera were amongst those featured. Kahlo & Diego are the most well known, but it was cool to learn about other Mexican artists such as Rufino Tamayo,  David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Dr Atl. If you are into the arts. the exhibit is available until January. If you don't get a chance to see this one, there are so may pieces of art available to make an afternoon of it. Also you can always run up the infamous Rocky steps and check out the breathtaking views of the city. 

Though my weekend was short, I definitely had an amazing time. I was able to see an amazing city with a friend, enjoy so much great food (which I do not feel guilty about since we did a lot of walking) and just enjoy some time away from NYC. Added bonus, our hotel was in walking distance from Dilworth Park so we got a chance to see people showing off their ice skating skills at the Rothman Ice Rink. I will always enjoy watching those ice skate, but this clumsy fashionista is staying off the ice (lol). 

Thank you again Visit Philly for this amazing opportunity. To see all that Philly has to offer and to help plan any upcoming trips, head to the Visit Philly website.

Enjoying my last day in the City of Brotherly Love. 

Fullbeauty Spring Preview

Wait what? Spring you say? Yes, I know we are just about to get ready for turkey day, but in the fashion world, Spring Previews are in full swing. I had the opportunity to head to Fullbeauty's office downtown to check out what they have in store for us. Well here you go lovers!!

ROAMANS  & JESSICA LONDON

Roaman's has been cranking out some gems this Fall, and it continues well into Spring. It's all about updated basics- tunics with lace detailing, open stitch sweaters, and bell sleeved tops. My favorite from the line is the fringed cardigan coat. It's a great layering pieces and completely versatile. In addition to all of the great tops from Roamans, there are fun printed pants. Gingham pants in pink, and floral pants are the standouts. Trench coats are making a comeback, but in shorter versions with kitschy prints.  

ELLOS

One of the latest brands added to the Fullbeauty family, Ellos has become one of my favorites. Their pieces are perfect for mixing and matching, and their color palette for Spring is effortlessly cool. I love gingham, and eyelet, and both are huge for Spring. The standouts again are their jackets. There is a cognac suede jacket that I am swooning over. Here in NYC, Spring does not start in March, so layers are still needed. This suede jacket would be the perfect addition to the closet. I love suede and it's not very often that we as plus size women get real suede or leather. So when the opportunity presents itself, I'm on it. 

 

ACCESSORIES

The biggest trend among accessories for Spring 17 are woven details. There is a lot of embroidery and fringe details as you can see in the sandals below. Mules continue to go strong with denim and stud versions. Lace up shoes are still in the picture, (to me they are a staple), in a traditional flat as well as wedge version. I love the woven clutch with the pom poms (it's on my must have list). 

There are definitely a lot of gems for this Spring. Now that the year is coming to a close, it's nice to see what is in store for us in 2017. There are some definite must haves on my list. What are you looking forward to?

The Holiday Shop With Fullbeauty

November is here, and you know what that means- all things Holiday!!! The Instagram Wives and I were asked to be a part of Fullbeauty's Holiday campaign (Happy Dance), and we were so honored. We have been a part of their Ambassador program, but for them to ask us to star in their Holiday Campaign, we were ecstatic. Now that the video is finally here, I am so excited to share! Check out our Holiday Glam Video!!!

The video definitely captured all of our styles and personalities. The Holidays is all about spending time with those you share a bond with, and that is something that the Instagram Wives are all about. We met through blogging, and sharing our tales of being true shopaholics, but you can see the genuine fun we have with one another. I went with a sparkly jumpsuit from Ellos. If you recall, I went to their preview and fell in love with this number. It was definitely meant to be when we visited Fullbeauty and was asked to pick out Glam outfit. I loved the way it fits. It shows off the curves all while being comfortable. Ladies, I definitely recommend this jumpsuit for the Holidays. You know I am all about one and done dressing, so if you are like me, and like to keep it cute yet have the ability to get dressed in a flash, then get this jumpsuit. 

In addition to our Glam shot, we all had to pick one individual look based on Fullbeauty's Holiday Shop. Sandra's was Dark Florals, Darlene's was Plaid, and I was Denim (no surprise there!!). Our task was to put together a great Holiday look based on the shops. Now as the Denim addict, I took my time and really wanted to find items that ooze Holiday. First thing I found was the Pearl Jeans from 24/7. I thought this was a fun way to wear pearls. Embellished jeans are big this season, and these are definitely a show stopper. I wanted something that makes an impact, but can still play nice with a great top. So what to wear with these great jeans? I found a feather top also from Roamans. The top and jeans worked harmoniously and I think it's a great outfit to wear if you are entertaining guests at home.  To see all of our looks and then some, make sure to check out the Holiday Shops!

I want to thank Fullbeauty again for this amazing, amazing opportunity. How are you going to celebrate the Holidays? Share in the comments!!!