See Ya Later Summer

This summer flew to say the least. One of my goals for myself was to enjoy the summer more. I get so wrapped in running around, that before I know the summer is done. 

For a gal that rarely goes away or makes a list of things to try and brushes it off, I will say that I am proud of myself. I took time for myself, but I made sure I did things that mattered to me. Whether it was getting some mac'n'cheese from S'Mac, or trying a new bar near work. I made effort to enjoy myself. 

  • I went to Atlanta, not once, but twice in three months. I visited the A to support Life Styled created by Maui of Phat Girl Fresh in late April, and then I headed back to go to the TCF Style Expo created by Marie of the Curvy Fashionista. Lesson - getting away is needed, and spending time with your girls making memories is key. 
  • Walked around NYC on a nice afternoon (solo). I took an afternoon to try out the newest ice cream barlour in NYC called Tipsy Scoop. I tried several flavors, and I have yet to be disappointed. 
  • Spent time with my peeps. Life can seriously get in the way, and it is very easy to let time pass without seeing my boo's. I made the time whether it was us getting together at the Jill Scott concert, meeting up for pizza, or a random impromptu. Make time for those that you care about. 
  • Trying new brands. I made an effort to support and try new brands. In addition to new brands, trying out new silhouettes, and just having fun with it. Never thought I would love me slides the way that I do, but if I never tried it, I would have missed out. 
  • Supporting my summertime events- Curlfest and FFF. Summer is not summer without these two events on my calendar. 

I'm proud to say that I am wearing this wonderful piece from new plus size brand Astra Signature. It's the baby of my boo Crystal of Sometimes Glam, and it's just a fun line. What I love is that she does not sacrifice quality or style for her pieces. When you are a shopaholic, you amass a lot of clothes. I look for things now that are different, and really speak to my style. This romper is definitely one of them. I love how it looks as if it is a mini dress, but it's not. It's super comfortable, and it's stretchy. It's currently on sale, so definitely check this out. I'm excited to see what Astra has in store for Fall. 

Summer is done unofficially, but nice weather is still upon us so make sure you go ahead and enjoy yourself.  You've heard about my summer, but what was yours? Please share in the comments! Muah!!

My Life In the Sunshine

I can't believe that Summer is ending...granted I love Fall- trust me, the amount of looks that I have planned is insane. Even though I am all about jacket weather, this Summer has been pretty good to this blogger. The epitome of a great summer day for me is sunny and warm. The kind of day that Jill Scott talks about in "Long Walk". Just enjoy the time and people watch. 

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Days like this call for something easy. I live in dresses in the summer. I'm all about just throwing it on and walking out the door. I talked about Obioma when I attended TCF Style Expo earlier this month, and while I was there I picked up another item from them. Everyone loved the maxi, so how do I top that- with a mini fit & flare. The Dashiki dress from Obioma is a great addition to anyone's closet. The colors are bold, but completely wearable (this also comes in red, and orange). While walking around I received tons of compliments. It has pockets which always makes a cute dress, the best dress ever. I had to get this dress in a 3X since it runs small. I used to stress about the size on the tag, but as long as I look good who cares what size I am wearing. Also, who is going to see the tag? Not a soul. 

When I was getting dressed, I was looking for shoes to wear, and almost forgot about these pom pom sandals from Nine West. They were the perfect addition to the outfit. The colors were the inverse of the dress, so they play well together. These sandals even with the little heel are still very comfortable and they are a statement maker. The Rizzah also comes in black, which would be a cool transitional shoe. You get the whimsy of the pom poms but something more neutral to wear with all the early fall items. To finish out my look, I went with my trusty pink Kate Spade bag and some cool cat eye shades that I bought from Eloquii a while back. 

Now for me to go off and enjoy the last days of Summer because Fall is coming lovers! Later!!

Hella Cute

I was chatting about how plus size fashion has changed over the years. How the industry is shifting and realizing that plus size women do not want a sea of black drab clothing. Brands are seeing us as the vivacious fun loving women that we are. One of the lines I love is Target's collaboration line with Who What Wear. They bring the latest in fashion at affordable prices. One day while I was scrolling on the gram, Who What Wear was hosting a giveaway for reaching 30k. Like they say you gotta be in it to win it, so I added my name and I ended up being one of the winners! The prize was an item of my choice, so I decided to go with this romper. Now rompers are no stranger to the blog, but I love how this one had ruffles on the sleeves and legs. 

I'm wearing a 2X in the romper, and it was perfect for a hot Saturday. The self tie belt defines my waist, and the leg openings are roomy. Since the romper was giving me 70's vibes I paired the romper with my favorite flatforms from Nine West. These are oldies, but goodies, but I have linked a similar style. Definitely check out the romper because it's now on sale and going fast!

I decided to wear this fun & flirty look for a girl's night out. Our favorite meetup is this pizza restaurant in Brooklyn called Zurilee. It's a great little spot right in my friend's backyard. The restaurant takes pizza, New York staple and incorporate the Caribbean vibes of Flatbush to create amazing brick oven pies. 

My bestie heading in for drinks, pizza, and laughs!!!

Our Happy Hour Drink of choice was the Casablanca. A nice refreshing drink with a rose for a bit of flair. I enjoyed the Lee which is for cheese lovers, Chi had the East Flatbush (not pictured), and Ro had the Bread. 

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Girl's night was so much fun. Catching up with the crew was definitely needed. All you need is a good cocktail and a great joke to make the night right. Later lovers!

Getting Skinny With It

Now you know I'm a denim addict, so I had to try #TheNewSkinny from Lane Bryant. While I'm all about their boyfriend jeans, I wanted to give their new jeans a try. Finding a good pair of skinny jeans at times can be hard. Some of my struggles with skinny jeans is either the jean looks more like a straight leg jean, it's too long or it stretches out. 

The New Skinny comes in several washes, and different hems. I am wearing the step hem in medium wash. I am wearing a size 16, and the jeans fit like a dream. The stretch in these are definitely different than the jeans they carried before, and the recovery is on point. I wore these all day, and with me sitting and then standing, I didn't feel that droop. If you are not familiar to what I am talking about, it's when you are sitting or moving for a while and then jeans stretch out. I love that they come up a little higher on me so that I was able to tie my shirt. I love the seam down the leg and the step hem. 

Since I am wearing a twist on the classic skinny jean, I figured I should wear a twist on the classic button up. I love the flounce sleeves on this striped top. Lane Bryant button up's have been a go to of mines for the past year or so all because of one little thing - extra buttons. When you are busty, wearing button ups can cause tug of war. Even when I sized up, I ended up somehow looking like the incredible hulk or the button would pop open. Their new button up's have a smaller hidden button in between to prevent such. Sometimes the smallest things make the most impact. 

I have been all about the slide life this summer. I have been wearing slides and mules and will continue until there is snow on the ground. I first saw these at Lane Bryant's fall preview, and I had them on must have list. The heel height is perfect for all day wear and you can't go wrong with a shoe in navy. 

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Have you tried #thenewskinny yet? If not, well you are in luck, they are giving $15 off your purchase of a pair. With $15 off and their monthly coupon you can get a new wardrobe that you can wear now and well into fall. Well lovers, I'm off to enjoy the last days of summer. Muah!

Fly Nerd

Being a nerd was always something looked at as uncool. If you were a nerd, ie love to read books, did well in school, or enjoyed anything remotely intellectual it was automatically deemed that you had no style. Nerds could not in any way be fashionable. Prime example: Steve Urkel. Even though Jaleel White was a good looking guy, those tight pants and suspenders were a no no. When he transformed into Stefan Urkelle, many swooned. He was cool. It was like if you were cool you couldn't be smart, and if you are smart you couldn't be cool. Why? 

I always loved clothes. So can a nerd love clothes? Being an intellectual absolves you from caring about fashion and style, but I loved it so. It was over time that I realized that people are not one dimensional. We have layers, and in turn makes you unique. So yes, I did get an A in advanced calculus and I read InStyle to catch up on the latest trends. You can be a Fly Nerd, and the shirt reflects such.

While at Curlfest I came across the brand Fly Nerd. I went with the Fly Nerd Tank, and it's the best. Everyone that saw this definitely said that it fit me to a tee (pun intended). I am wearing a XL, and it has room. The brand goes up to a 2XL, which I feel can accommodate someone that is 22-24. The women that were assisting me were my size or bigger and they wore the 2X without a problem. If you don't want to rock a tank, it also comes in a tee. 

Nine West Gemily

I paired the tee with this fun printed skirt from Eloquii. I love a good flare skirt and the bold print really spoke to me. I also love the fact that it is shorter. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Eloquii midi, but it's cool to have something on the shorter side. Show off the gams from time to time. I finished off the look with my Gemily mules from Nine West. So lovers, did this Fly Nerd pull it off? Sound off in the comments.