Bandeau To Make Her Dance!

Hi Lovies!

Well I'm finally back on the my blogging ish! It can be very hard to blog when your photographer has her own buddy career (how dare she! lol). But I'm back, and back with a vengeance! When I first saw this bandeau, I was immediately drawn to it because it was another one of my favorite prints...CAMOUFLAGE! Since I've been trying to push the envelope and step out of my comfort zone, I decided to purchase it with an outfit in mind. Now we all know that denim vest are super trendy and popular this summer, so I paired it this lace back vest from Forever 21 with the bandeau to give me more of a comfortable feel and not be so overly exposed. Also to "camouflage" some of my love handles I wore a skater skirt with a bit of a high waist. I felt the outfit was pulled together, cute and showed just enough skin without feeling like a Hoochie Mama..lol! I also wore my wedge sneakers for a more urban, street look which completed the outfit.

#HonorMyCurves Feature

Hi Lovies!

I'm so excited to I can barely type this post but yours truly has been featured in the July/August issue of Skorch Magazine! I was part of the #honormycurves column written by the wonderful Honor Curves. I was ecstatic when she reached out to me and asked if I would like to be featured in the magazine. If you've never heard of Honor Curves and her #honormycurves movment, its an instagram page where she encourages self love and acceptance of your body, no matter the size, shape or color. #honormycurves has gotten so big, Skorch Magazine asked her to join their team with a monthly column featuring 3-4 girls, asking them what honoring their curves means to them. I'm super grateful to Honor Curves for choosing me as one of the girls to be featured this month! To see the full article on Skorch Magazine click here and to follow the #honormycurves movement you can follow her on instagram here or her twitter page here.

Until next time Lovies!

~ La Pecosa Preciosa

Instagram OOTD's

Hi Lovies!

If you're a blogger, then you know it's not always easy finding someone to take outfit pictures for you. Sometimes you have to rely on your trusty camera phone and take some selfies in the mirror of your outfit of the day. So I've been taking daily OOTD pics at work of my summer looks. If you follow me on instagram, then you've probably seen them but here are some that I've taken over the last 3 weeks.

Outfit Deets

(left to right)

ASOS Curve dress//ASOS Curve Dress//ASOS Curve & Torrid Blazer//Conway Dress//Torrid Dress & Fashion to Figure Blazer

Summer Nights

Hi Lovies!

Last night after work I attended the NYCurvyCloset plus size shopping event with my niece April. It was 6 of some of my fav bloggers selling their clothing and giving us girls the opportunity to shop their closets! I left there with 2 skirts and 2 tops from the lovely Meaghan of Little Lime Dress for the grand total of $30! (see here for pics) As usual, these events are always fun, you get to mingle and network with your blogger friends. I was also approached by several women that actually recognized me from my blog and told me how much they loved it! It was so surreal and humbling to know that people actually follow my blog and love what I do. Afterwards, me and April went to have some pizza at Two Boots Pizza and took some outfit pics. I was a great summer night fun and hopefully the beginning of many more to come!

Bandelettes: The Chub Rub Killer!

Hi Lovies,

How many of you suffer from the annoying "chub rub" or chafing of the inner thighs for rubbing together  from walking?? I know I do, and it's not a good feeling especially during the hot and humid summer in NYC. I have tried many different remedies to prevent chafing, like using powder,deodorant, wearing shorts etc, but they all failed in one way or another. Up until recently when I came across Tanesha's post from Girl with Curves about this amazing products called Bandelettes.

BYE, BYE GOOGLE READER, HELLO BLOGLOVIN!

Hi Lovies!

As some of you might know, Google Reader is shutting down from the 1st of July. Starting tomorrow, you will lose the list of blogs you follow. Fortunately, you can easily transfer the list of all the blogs you already follow to Bloglovin', so you don’t miss out.

Here is how to import all the blogs you follow from Google Reader to Bloglovin’.

Don’t forget to follow La Pecosa Preciosa!!

Wonder Lee 123 Bow Ties

Hi Lovies!

Wednesday night I attended the "Curves at Sea" All White Cruise for FFFWeek and I wore a personalized  bow tie that said "Blogger" made out of a Scrabble board and tiles. I can not tell you how many compliments and admirers I got that night, everyone just loved it so much! So as I promised, I'm letting all my readers and followers know where I got it from and where you can get one too!

FFFWEEK Day 3: "Curves at Sea" All White Sunset Cruise

Hi Lovies!!

FFFWeek is in full swing now and I've been swooning over all the pictures on facebook and Instagram from the different events. Yesterday I attended the "Curves at Sea" All White Sunset Cruise and all I have to say is WOW! It was such a wonderful event, filled with beautiful women of all colors, shapes and sizes! We got to sail around the city and enjoy it's picturesque views well into the evening, ending the cruise with sailing by Lady Liberty. I got to meet more of my favorite bloggers, some that traveled as far as Australia, England, France and Germany! I also got to hang out again with some other blogger that I made friends with at the Ashley Stewart Blogger Breakfast. Not to mention rubbing elbows with the many plus size models that were there, including the beautiful Rosie Mercado from the show "Curvy Girls". It was a night filled with awesome people, dancing, drinking, picture taking, networking and just having fun. Can't wait til next year!

FFFWEEK: All White, Don't Care!

Hi Lovies!

Yesterday was Day 3 of FFFWeek and I attended the "Curves at Sea" All White Cruise. For a lot of us plus size women, wearing white can be challenging, especially with the myth that wearing white makes you look bigger. Since I've been blogging and also reading many of the other inspirational plus size blogs, I've definitely learned to be more body confident and comfortable in my own skin. There shouldn't be any reason not to wear something if you like it. My motto is "if you like it, wear it!" So I welcomed the whole wearing "all white" with opened arms. 

FFFWEEK: Ashley Stewart Blogger Breakfast

Hi Lovies,

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the kick off to Full Figured Fashion week, the Ashley Stewart Bloggers Breakfast. This is my first time attending FFFWeek, so it was all new to me, but it was such an experience! Since I got there early, we had to hang in the lobby of the hotel that the event was taking place at but this gave me the opportunity to meet some of favorite bloggers that I have been idolizing since I started blogging almost a year ago. Each and every one of them was unique in their own way, so amazingly sweet and down to earth. It truly felt like I was meeting a celebrity for the first time. 

Modcloth "Elegance for All" Pop-up Shop Event

Hi Lovies,

Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the Modcloth "Elegance for All' Pop-up Shop event. They were celebrating their new plus size collection, which was a total delight! Everything was so prim and pretty, I literally wanted to buy everything I saw but I restrained myself to just one skirt. They were also offering cute little cupcakes and champagne to everyone as well. The place was pack with women swooning over all the gorgeous clothing, chatting, trying on clothes and just enjoying the moment. As for my outfit, I decided to go with a dress that was very Modcloth looking, my white and black polka skater dress from Pay/Half, I paired it with my cropped tuxedo jacket from Forever 21 and my Fringed Booties from ASOS.

Eshakti Promo Code

If you loved this dress (seen here) and tutu skirt (seen here) that I posted on my blog, well they could be yours! The folks at eShakti gave me a promo code to pass on to my followers for $40 off your first purchase with them. I don’t know if you've ever heard of the website but they have some beautiful dresses as well as tops, skirts and jackets, sizes 0-36. The great thing about them is that they do customization on all their clothing. You can send them your measurements for perfect fitting clothing! I own 3 pieces from them and I love each one, really great quality and workmanship goes into every piece. To get the discount, just use the promo code ANEG40NE FOR $40 off your purchase! I'm telling ya, you won't regret it! 

Captivating in Coral

Hi Lovies!

When you're a shopaholic (like myself), you tend to forget what you have in your wardrobe due to the abundance of clothing you've accumulated. As I said in a previous post (see here), I recently swapped my winter wardrobe to summer and came across a bunch of dresses I forgot I had. This Lace and Tulle dress being one of them that I bought from ASOS last April. I have to admit I think I wore this dress only once since I bought it and I don't know why? The coral color is amazing and so vibrant, it just screams summer and the fact that it has both lace and tulle is an added plus. 

Gold and Chiffon

Hi Lovies,

This past Sunday, I endured the grueling task of swapping my winter wardrobe to my summer wardrobe. It literally took almost all Sunday to do this but now that it's done I feel at ease. In the process of sorting out my clothes, I noticed that I've accumulated quite a few pieces in chiffon, mostly dresses. One of them, that I  totally forgot I had, is this ASOS Curve Twist Neck Skater Dress. I love this dress and all it's chiffon cuteness, loved it so much I also bought it in the Jade version (see here).

S.W.A.K! (Sealed With A Kiss)

Hi Lovies!

When I thought of skater skirts, I immediately would think "risque" due to the shortness of them. But it wasn't until I wore one in a previous post (see here) that I realized they are pretty hot! I get to show off my stems and it forces me to be body confident, which I know isn't easy for everyone. So yesterday I decided to go with my Forever 21 Lip Print Skirt that I scored off of eBay last year.

OUTFIT: Memorial Day BBQ

Hi Lovies,

If you live in NY, then you know this Memorial Day Weekend was not the greatest. Friday and Saturday felt more like October than May. But miraculously, Mother Nature cooperated and Monday was a picture perfect day! I attended my first BBQ of the year and I definitely indulged way too much. I ate and drank in abundance, to the point where I literally felt like I had to be rolled out of there lol! Just something about BBQ's, I tell ya :o) I kept my outfit comfortable and simple but still cute and stylish. I went with one of my favorite denim shirts and bandage skirt. I accented the outfit with gold accessories to go with the gold studding on the top and a pop of print with my leopard clutch and sandals.

Eshakti to me!

Hi Lovies!

I can't stress enough how much I love the site eShakti, I want every dress they have on the site! If you've never heard of them, they're a company that offers clothing from sizes 0-36 (which is awesome for us bigger gals!), and they even offer customization; you can change different elements about the clothing, or send in your measurements for a truly custom fit. When you first register for their site, they will send you a $25 off coupon for your first purchase. I was so excited and couldn't wait to use it. But then came the dilemma of what to pick! As much as I love color and prints, I figured I'd go with some thing simple that I can get more wear out of. So I went with the Retro Chambray Shirtdress (no surprise!).

Stripes and Denim

Hi Lovies!

Since my experience with wearing something not "plus size appropriate", I have been pushing myself to wear more things that "society" thinks plus size women shouldn't wear. When I wore that Wet Look Skater Skirt the other day (see post here), it was an eye opener. I couldn't believe how many people, mostly women, who were giving me the evil hater side eye. You would of thought that I was walking the street naked, and all I was showing was some leg...sheesh! Anyway, I digress, take this experience and turn it into something positive! Like STRIPES! Yes, you heard right! The old "plus size women shouldn't wear horizontal stripes" rule. That is absolute bull crap and to prove it, I had to go and wear my Striped Skater Dress.

Fashion Geek

Hi Lovies!

Being a plus size woman I never really experienced the looks some women get when they wear clothing that "society" thinks is inappropriate for us. I normally stay within my comfort zone, not because society wants me to but because it's just my style of dressing and what makes me feel comfortable. But lately I have been pushing myself to step out of my box and try new things. Saturday I decided to finally wear my ASOS Wet Look Skater Skirt. Now I wear skirts but this one was a bit shorter than what I normally wear. Nevertheless, I thought it was super cute and fun so I said screw it, I'm going to wear it!

MS Walk 2013

Hi Lovies!

My co-worker Rayna recently found out she has Multiple Sclerosis. MS is an inflammatory disease that affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other effectively. Nerve cells communicate by sending electrical signals called action potentials down long fibers called axons, which are contained within an insulating substance called myelin. In MS, the body's own immune system attacks and damages the myelin. When myelin is lost, the axons can no longer effectively conduct signals. Of course this came as a total shock to her. She's married with 2 young kids and is a very active person. This disease is definitely doing to change her lifestyle in many ways. She has been very vigorous about researching MS and has already started medication. 

Our other co-worker Ashley thought it would be a good idea for us to do the MS Walk in her honor as a way to show our support for her. It's a 6 mile walk starting at the South Street Seaport, going over the Brooklyn Bridge, through part of Brooklyn and then back around to the seaport where the finish line is. We signed up and made a team called "Las Reinas" which means "The Queens" in Spanish  we also got t-shirts made with the team name. We managed to raise over $5,000 for the cause! It was a beautiful day and we had such a good time being together as a team and supporting one of our beloved co-workers. Here's a few pics from the day.

My Tutu and the Brooklyn Bridge

Hi Lovies!

If you're a girly girl like me, then you must squeal like a one when you hear the word "tutu". There's something so magical and whimsy about a tutu skirt. It brings me back to my childhood days when all I wanted to be was a princess. I've been searching for the perfect tutu for a while and saw a few out there in the blogisphere but nothing that caught my eye. Until I saw the one that the fabulous Kim from the blog The Natural Fashionista was wearing. I knew right when I saw it that that was the one I wanted! 

The "Cape" Crusader

Hi Lovies!

If you live in the NY area, then you are fully aware that Mother Nature is being very bi-polar with the weather and doesn't want us to enjoy spring. The only advantage to this unseasonable weather is that I can rock some of my capes, like the one I'm wearing here. I adore wearing capes and own about 4 but this one is my favorite. I got this little gem for the mere price of $27 at Walmart.com during the winter. It also came in black, which I got, as well as red. I get so many compliments and lookers whenever I wear this cape. I love that it's a belted cape because some capes can tend to make you bigger than you are. The belt gives you a slimmer, more put together look. Plus whenever I wear a cap, I feel very Sherlock Holmes-ish lol. Love anything that makes me feel like I'm in England

Classically Cobalt

Hi Lovies!

I've said this before but I am definitely drawn to the color blue, of any shade. But lately I've noticed that I can't pass up anything in the color cobalt. I just love the rich vibrant color and how it looks with my skin tone, as well as the many color combinations you can mix and match with it. Of course the color combination I chose to go with the was something leopard print (that's a no brainer lol). I mean, ya can't go wrong with leopard print, right???

Sexy Varsity Girl

Hi Lovies!

I first saw this sexy varsity look on the fabulous Chasity from the blog Garnerstyle. She did a celebrity style capture with a look Kim Kardashian did. I also saw this look on another fantastic blogger Margie from the blog MargiePlus, who pulled off the sexy varsity look great. Then yesterday I saw the awesome Nicolette Mason wearing almost the same outfit I put together here on her blog. I instantly fell in love with the look and definitely needed a varsity jacket in my wardrobe.

"Look What Margie Found" Review

Hello my Lovies!

A while back ago I gave my blogger card to a good friend of mine and she proceeded to tell me she had an aunt Margie that sells really beautiful jewelry. Her website is called "Look What Margie Found". She passed my card to Margie, who in turn reached out to me. She was super sweet, complimented me on my blog and how much of an inspiration it was. Margie is an older plus size woman but with a youthful style. She loved my blog so much that she was kind enough to send me several different pieces to try out and review.

Serpentine

Hi Lovies!

Next to leopard/cheetah print, my next favorite is reptile print. So when I saw  these snake print skinny jeans at Torrid.com, I couldn't pass them up! I was happy to find that they were on sale and available in my size as well. I have to say that these jeans fit very well. They had just enough stretch for comfort and were fitted from the thigh down to the ankle. The jeans were of a lighter material which is good if I want to wear them in the warmer months

Easy Like Sunday Morning

Hello my Lovies!

I love Sundays, especially when I get to spend them with my Beau. He decided to take Sunday off from work so we could hang out and also watch Wrestlemania later that night! (Don't judge us!) We had brunch, walk around the neighborhood and just had a relaxed day. Sunday is my casual day, I like to wear something simple but cute. So what could be more simple than a cute top, color jeans and a moto jacket?!

A Hint of Red

Hello my Lovies!

I have never been a huge fan of wearing the color red, I just don't think it goes well with my skin tone. But I will rock accessories in shades of red for a pop of color to an outfit. I particularly love red with anything leopard/cheetah print, it just adds a rich look to an ensemble.

Blush and Turquoise

Next to Forever 21, ASOS.com is my next favorite store to buy from. Everything about their Curve line is spot on with trends and styles, you can never go wrong with them. For some people (like me!), ASOS might be more on the expensive side but their sale section is where I mostly shop. They always have great deals there. So when I saw this Skater Dress with Twist Neck for $26.00, I jumped on it immediately. 

Cowgirl Chic

I can't say enough about how much I love anything leopard print, but I'm also a bit of a freak over denim as well. So of course I decided to put both of my favorites together and came up with this outfit! When I first saw this denim dress from Forever 2, I immediately purchased it! I'm glad that I did because it sold out pretty quickly on the website. I have one other denim shirt dress from Torrid but this one had more of a flared skirt and distressed look to it. I also love that it has smocking in the back for extra space and snap button closure are great.

Nordstrom's Faux Fur

When I first this fur on the beautiful Tanisha from Girl with Curves, I died and came back to life because I had to have it! When I went purchase it, of course it was sold out but to my luck they had it available in the plus size version on sale! This coat is so chic and elegant, you would never know it was faux. It's made so well and the fur is super soft, comfortable and warm. Since Easter Sunday was gloomy and a chilly, I figured this would probably be my last chance (hmm..maybe?) to wear this coat. I decided to depict Tanisha and her stunning outfit from her blog post Luxe Layers. I decided to change up her look and add my own style to it with leopard print and green accessories.

Blazer Obsessed

I've noticed lately that I can't seem to put an outfit together without adding a blazer. My closet is riddled with blazers of all types (mostly black ones), but I have to say one of my favorite ones is my Faux Leather Lapel Blazer from Forever 21. I love that this blazer is a cropped style and the 3/4 sleeves, allowing you to show off your arm candy. It also has an 80's Prom Tuxedo feel to it as well which I think is cool. I own it in all Black and wear that one A LOT as well as the Ivory/Black version featured below. It also comes in a pink/black version which I'm sure I'll end up getting eventually lol.

Spring has Sprung

I am so over this weather here in NYC. We are still experiencing cold temps and lots of rain and snow. The groundhog apparently lied to us and we are getting 6 more weeks of winter. But despite the cold weather, I am getting myself hyped for the upcoming spring season. I've really taken to the whole colored denim trend and first tried this out here in my post "Colored Jeans Plunge". I immediately fell in love with the colored jeans I got from Forever 21. I decided to give the sky blue color a whirl.

Faux Fur and my BFF

About two weekends ago, I visited my BFF Jamie up in Fresh Meadows, Queens. Whenever I go over, I have to spend the night because of the distance and the bus schedule. Our sleepovers usually involve lots of liquor, food, music and laughs. We always have an awesome time when we're together. Jamie has two passions, being a DJ and photography, which she excels at both. She was kind enough to take some pics of my outfit that day in her backyard.

Spikes, Studs and Chains

If you follow my blog, you know that I am a girlie girl when it comes to my wardrobe. I don't own any sporty or menswears looking pieces, not even sneakers. My most casual footwear would be Uggs. But I've been drawn to the whole sneaker wedge trend because it's sporty yet still girly enough for me. I've seen a bunch of different ones but none have caught my eye until I saw a pair on the lovely Jeka from the blog La Maison Deux on her instagram page. I inquired about them and wasn't surprised when she informed me that she purchased them from ASOS.com. I immediately went looking for them but unfortunatley they only had them available in the grey color and I wanted black. But I was vigilant and kept checking everyday in hopes that they would pop up again and low and behold they did!!

Michael Kors Giveaway!!

Hey ladies! I am co-hosting a giveaway this week! Enter to win a Michael Kors Bangle, just follow the instructions below to win! Until next time lovies! ~ La Pecosa Preciosa

The Colored Jeans Plunge

I normally don't fall into too many trends because they come and go and I like a more classic look. But there are some trends that are hard to pass up. As most of us know, since last spring colored jeans have become super trendy and I've been keeping my eye out for a pair that I might actually want to take the plunge with. On my daily ritual of browsing my favorite sites every morning, I came across these Colored Stretchy Skinny Jeans from Forever 21. I read the reviews and every one seemed to really like them, as far as how they fit, color consistency, etc. Plus they were only $19.80! So I decided to go for it and purchased the fuchsia and light blue color. 

Sunday Blues

I use to think my favorite color was brown but as I look at my wardrobe recently I have an awful lot of blue. I'm attracted to any shade of blue, especially the color turquoise. If I could dress up everyday I would, but in all reality I hardly get to wear my fancy, dressy clothing. Most of the time I dress pretty casual unless the occasion calls for otherwise. Even for work I can dress pretty relaxed if I want. This is a perfect example of a casual and simple outfit.

All Black Everything

So many of us women, plus size and straight size, love to dress in black It's a classic, elegant and quintessential color. It makes us full figured women look slimmer and it's also a blank canvas for us fashionistas to accessorize and turn it into a masterpiece. Now for me, I enjoy color in my wardrobe, but from time to time I will retreat back to an all back ensemble like the one I wore Saturday.

Neons and Denim

Sundays are usually laid back, relaxed days for me and my outfits usually reflect that. Last Sunday I wanted to wear something comfortable and casual but with a pop of color. So I went with my Denim Shirt from Old navy, along with my Neon Yellow Boyfriend Cardigan for my pop of color and Black Leggings for comfort-ability both from Forever 21.

Pretty in Polka Dot

So as many of you know, polka dot has become very trendy. I've been wanting to buy something with polka dots but haven't come across anything that caught my eye. Until one day, when I was browsing in Old Navy and spotted this Polka Dot Chiffon Shirt Dress.

Tigers and Tribal Print

When it comes to leggings, I normally keep it simple and stay away from bold prints. But when I saw these Tribal leggings on sale at Forever 21, I decided to give it a whirl. I had them for a while because I didn't know what to wear them with, until I saw this great Tiger Graphic Top last week while I was browsing in the Times Square Forever 21.

Spring Cleaning and eBay

Like a month ago I decided to thin out my wardrobe. I have way too many clothes that I no longer wear and are taking up way too much space in my closet preventing me from buying new stuff! I donated some stuff, I gave some of it my niece and the rest I decided to sell. At first, I went to Storenvy.com and opened up a shop to try it out. Unfortunately, I didn't get any buyers, so I went back to my old faithful eBay.com.

Don't Sleep on Pay/Half

I realized that I  am drawn to anything black and white. I have alot of it in my wardrobe and enjoy wearing it. It's a classic and clean look which is my style of dressing. But there's something about silver accessories that always make a black and white outfit for me. I got this dress from Pay/Half and wish they had it in other colors because it is such a cute, simple dress and the price was under $25. I decided to take one more pic by my tree because it is coming down this weekend. I will have to brave the cold and retreat to taking pics in our communal terrace. 

Twerking over Tweed

One of my very first purchases from Torrid was this Charcoal Tweed Peplum Tank Dress. I was a little leery at first since it was my first time purchasing anything from Torrid. But became an instant fan when the dress arrived. It fit me perfectly, the dress was true to size and it was made so well. Obviously I've been a fan of peplum for a while even before it became so trendy.

Snake skin and Shoulder Pads

When I first got this Ponte Contrast Pencil Skirt Dress from ASOS Curve, I wasn't sold on it. I've never worn a dress that length before or anything with shoulder pads, but I loved the look of the dress. I normally prefer my dresses right above the knee or higher, I just like the way they look on me better. I was indecisive about shortening the dress, so it sat in my closet for a while. During this time I kept seeing a lot of pencil skirts and dresses in my favorite stores and how pretty the length looked on other women. So I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a whirl!

Peplum and Leopard Print

I'm starting to think that I might actually need help with my animal print obsession lol. I seriously can't pass up anything with Leopard/Cheetah print! I hear a little voice in my head saying "You could never have too much animal print!" and then I grab what ever it is and make my way to the check out. My most recent purchase were these Leopard Print Platforms from Target for the mere price of $24.99. I mean really? I couldn't NOT buy them, right??

Fun with Mock Suspender Tights

I first saw these cool mock suspender tights (see here) on the lovely Passion Jonesz in her blog post called "Rockin Suspender Tights" (see here). I thought they were such a clever idea, and looked so cute on Passion. She wrote in her blog that she purchased them off a website called Donatella's, and that they carried plus size tights. I immediately went on the site to check them out. They had so many other cool and different designs. After browsing for a while, I ended up just purchasing the suspender tights to try them out.

Sequins and Chiffon

This New Years Eve, I wanted to go with a simple and elegant look. I was spending NYE with my Beau's family, so of course I wanted to look nice. I saw this Paillette Bodice Dress on the Forever 21 website and instantly fell in love but I waited too long to get something for NYE and there wasn't enough time to order the dress. I frantically went to the Times Square store and to my luck they had the dress!

Christmas is gone, but not forgotten

For the month of December I was a bit lazy with outfit posts, so now I'm behind. Also the weather in NYC has gotten really cold and I have not been able to take pics in my communal terrace. I was forced to take these pics in my house but since it was the holidays I decided to take them in front of my tree.