Sleep Tight

January 23, 2019 by Jami Jaye

Since college, I have been programmed to work more and sleep less. My body has been used to less than 5 hours of sleep for years. Once that becomes your routine, it’s very hard to break. When my sleep dropped down to 3-5 hours a night, due to constant tossing and turning, I knew it was time to get a new mattress. I got new sheets, new pillows and a new mattress, but my quality of sleep did not get better. I still tossed and turned and would wake up in the middle of the night. In the mornings when I woke up, I felt more tired than when I went to bed. With a demanding job, the blog, and still trying to maintain somewhat of a social life, a good nights rest can help. If you are not giving yourself that chance to reset yourself with the proper rest, you are susceptible to burn out. Burn out is very real, and with us having so much on our plate, you have to take care of yourself. One of those ways to do it is to get the proper rest, and with Big Fig, I am able to do so.

Sitting cozy in my pj’s. PJ Top and Bottoms, and sleep mask from Eloquii.

When it comes to my health, from time to time, I deal with low levels of B12. Anyone that knows when you are B12 deficient, one of the major issues is fatigue. The type of fatigue, that after being awake for an hour you want to go back to sleep. Here is the downside of taking naps when you are B12 deficient- it makes you even more tired than you already were. Sleep should energize you, not make it worse. With my old bed, I was taking a lot of naps and just not getting the energy I needed. My first week with my Big Fig was life changing. I woke up not wanting to go back to sleep. At that time, I was still getting 5-6 hours of sleep, but the quality of my sleep improved. I don’t feel sluggish at all, and that is due to a good night’s rest. Now, that it has been three months since I received my new bed, I am getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night. Never would have thought I could sleep that long and wake up feeling refreshed.

You see how thick that mattress is? I went with the high profile boxspring

What I love about Big Fig is that they are designed for us in mind. It’s the first mattress designed for plus size people. The mattress is made of a hybrid springs and high density foam which not only provides firmness and comfort but prevents sagging. In less than a year with my old mattress, there were spots that were sagging. Even with me rotating the mattress every month, I still dealt with spots that sagged, which leads to body aches. I tend to overheat while I sleep and with Big Fig’s ThermoGel Cooling Technology, I sleep throughout the night not waking up in a sweat. With any good mattress, a good foundation is needed as well. The boxspring or foundation construction allows it hold 5x more weight than a standard foundation. The frame for the bed is made of recycled railroad steel which can support weights up to 2000 pounds. With that amount of support, you don’t have to worry about not being supported regardless of your size.

I went with the full size mattress with the 9 inch platform versus the standard platform which is 5 inches. I wanted my bed to sit up higher than the ones I had in the past. My mom says I have a Princess & The Pea bed, but I do enjoy being higher up, especially when I am watching tv. Even with the mattress being so plush, I am still able to have a mattress pad as well as my sheets on my bed with no worries. The frame even allows me to store things under my bed, which is great because the more you can maximize space the better.

My room is my everything. I don’t have a home office, so it’s where I work, as well as relax. Whether I am on my laptop editing posts, or binging the latest Netflix shows, this bed allows me to both comfortably with a great amount of support. The past three months with this bed has changed how I sleep. We all talk about the importance of self care, but when you think about it, getting the proper sleep needed is a form of self care. Big Fig definitely is here to help everyone get a great nights rest. That is definitely something that we all deserve.

If you are in the market for a new bed, this is the time to do so. Big Fig offers free shipping on any purchase regardless of size. Also they have white glove service, as well as an option to remove your old mattress. for an additional fee. They also have a 120 night trial. That’s right, you can give Big Fig a go, and if you don’t love it, then you can call and they will come and remove the mattress and issue you a refund. On average it is recommended that you replace your mattress every 8-10 years, with a Big Fig they are expected to last longer than average. Any good mattress is an investment, so you definitely don’t want something that is not going to last. Big Fig makes a product that is going to last and the reviews prove such. Ok, you have heard all the great things about Big Fig, head to their site to check it out for yourself. Since sharing is caring, if you use code STYLEOVERSIZE you can save some coin!! If you get a new mattress, please make sure to tag me! Muah!!

*** This Big Fig Mattress was gifted to me for a review but all opinions here are my own.

Winter White

January 11, 2019 by Jami Jaye

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.

Cozy Time

December 24, 2018 by Jami Jaye

Once the temps start to drop, I go on the hunt for the perfect sweaters to wear. From embellished, to unexpected twists, when it comes to my sweater collection, it is curated to not only fits into my style, but above all else keep me warm. There is nothing worse than having the thinest of sweaters on a cold NYC day.

I have been gravitating towards prints, and super chunky knits this season, but there was something about this sweater that had me wanting it immediately. It’s definitely your classic black knit sweater, but what drew me to it was that it was slightly oversized and cropped. It totally gives me 90’s vibes. Its not a super chunky knit but trust that it does the job on the warm front. I am wearing a 18/20, but I could have sized down to a 14/16.

The combo of the season that everyone can pull off is the sweater-skirt combo. It’s a great look that can be easily dressed up or down just by switching up your accessories. When I saw this skirt from Jibri, I instantly fell in love. What solidified the deal for me was when Jibri was in NYC for Curvy Con, and I got a chance to see it in person. I love me some animal print, and add in my favorite color grey, she had to come home with me.

I’m a firm believer that when you have great pieces in your closet that are effortless that when you have to get dressed, it’s easy and you look put together. Animal print has been all over the runways, but it still is a great neutral that pairs well with other neutrals or color. All I had to do to end out my look was to add some glitter booties (these are oldies but goodies, but I linked something similar here), and my trusty handbag, and I am out the door.

When it comes to the holiday’s you can always go all out festive with sequins, or brocade, but if that is not your thing, go with an animal print. Holiday dressing is what you make of it, and as long as you look and feel your best that will shine through. Merry Merry Lovers!!!!

Thanksgiving Ready Y'all

November 20, 2018 by Jami Jaye

Usually for Thanksgiving I’m home lounging watching the parade followed by the dog show. Yeah the dog show. My niece and I started watching it some years back and its become somewhat of a tradition for us. We pick our favorites and guess who is going to win while in our pj’s. Going out is not on the menu, but this year I was invited to Kay Jay’s for the festivities and then I have Friendsgiving that Friday with my bestie. So what to wear?

Now since this holiday is all about enjoying time with loved ones and chowing down, I need an outfit that is comfortable yet put together. I want to make a good first impression, but in no way do I want to look like I’m trying too hard (so no sequins- for now. Lol) so I figured why not wear my pieces from Draper James!!

Draper James and Eloquii dropped a fall collection earlier on and these pieces are great to wear for all your Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving activities. I paired the polka dot top with denim. Polka dots are always a good idea and you can mix and match them with another print, or just wear it solo. I like mixing mines with a stripe, but today, I mixed it with a buffalo plaid in the same color scheme, and I loved how it turned out. I’m wearing a 18/20 in the top. I can wear denim anytime of the year and I’m always comfortable. The Peach Lift Jean holds it shape without stretching out and in no way does the waistband have me feeling like I’m in a vice grip. In denim, I am wearing a 16.

Now I love a good boot for the fall, so I thought to jazz up the whole look, I will wear my slouchy cone heel boots. They are a great height for walking and the width of these are perfect. I have 17.5 inch calves and I can wear this with or without pants and they fit great. I did size up to a 9 since there are no half sizes so I can have room for super thick socks. If you are looking for a cute boot, definitely check out Kass (also it comes in white).

Now the piece that I feel is the showstopper is this buffalo plaid cape. I love a cape, and this one is perfect for this time of the year. I can layer to my hearts content with a super chunky knit and not have to worry about feeling cold. I’m wearing a 18/20 and this has enough room that I can wear a chunky knit sweater when the temps drop. I love capes cause they give me more room to move around and I just feel so sophisticated in them. If you are looking for “Southern Lady Who Lunches” vibe, then don’t look any further- Draper James x Eloquii have you covered. Check out some more of my favorites below and Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

See Rose Go

November 16, 2018 by Jami Jaye

Back in the summer, I got a chance to meet the See Rose Go team and give their new items- their tee at the TCF Style Expo. The quality was impeccable, and the tee’s ability to keep you cool during the sticky months of summer made it one of must have items for summer (besides my portable fan). Needless to say when See Rose Go IG displayed some new styles during NYFW, I was immediately smitten. The first piece that I knew I had to have, was the Peek-A-Boo Tunic.

I don’t have that many tunics. Mostly my tunics are of the chunky sweater type, but this one definitely has the versatility that allows you to wear it throughout the year. The tunic comes in three colors- Black, burgundy, and the one I am wearing Rose.

The material feels great against the skin, and the fit is great. I am wearing a 1, and the fit is spot on. I am wearing the tunic as a top so that I can pair it with their new skirt, but the length on this top is long enough that I can wear this with their Everyday Legging, Track Pants, or even a great pair of jeans. My favorite part is the cut out. It adds a little interest, which I’m always for.

This skirt, another new item to their collection, is another item that plays well with all of their other pieces in their assortment. It has a wide elastic band, that gives you a shape without the need of a belt. It’s made of the same comfy material like the tunic, and it has pockets. I know I am not the only one that gets excited when their skirt or dress has pockets, right? I am wearing a 2 in the skirt, I might have been able to size down since the elastic band is stretchy. Either way, the skirt was comfortable and easy to wear. I’m thinking about wearing this again, with a striped turtleneck, loafers and throw my moto on top for a cute work outfit. The pleated skirt also comes in burgundy, which also goes with everything in their assortment.

If you are looking for items that will last, then definitely check out See Rose Go. In addition to these items, and their tee’s, I have their Layering Vest which is the best thing to wear now. The weather here has been dipping in and out of the 50’s-60’s, so this is my time for practicing my layering skills. Have you checked out See Rose Go? I love a good chat about brands, so hit me up in the comments! Muah!!!