#ImNoAngel

Hi Lovies!

It always surprises me when women ask me in person or via social media "How did you become so confident with your body?" It surprises me because, though I may look confident, I still continue to have my issues with body acceptance. We all have our qualms with our bodies, from the skinniest of girls to the heaviest of girls. After I had my son (in 1996), I gained a lot of weight due to being depressed in the relationship I was in with my son's father. We eventually broke up but it wasn't until 2006 when I decided to get out my funk and make a change. I'm still not where I want to be but I am happy in the skin I'm in.

That's why I love the #ImNoAngel Campaign by Lane Bryant. In one day LB has revolutionized the definition of sexy. I had the honor of being apart of this amazing movement last Monday and I'll never forget it. They are promoting that ALL bodies are sexy no matter what shape or size you are. AS well as empowering women to embrace their bodies and not be ashamed of it, to own you sexy! It was just amazing to be riding around NYC in the "Plus Size" bus, as we called it, with beautiful plus size models of different sizes and ethnicity. Seeing the reactions of the people and how excited they were as the models gave out the wildly popular #ImNoAngel t-shirts. Umm not to mention they had Salt N Pepa perform on the bus! The #ImNoAngel hashtag was flooding every social media outlet and it was just great to see women using it along with pictures and captions of what sexy meant to them. The Ceo of Lane Bryant Linda Heasley couldn't have said it any better.

"Our #ImNoAngel" campaign is designed to empower ALL women to love every part of herself. Lane Bryant firmly believes that she is sexy and we want to encourage her confidently show it, in her own way."

Jacket & Skirt (sold out online, check in stores), T-shirt (gifted by LB) & Shoes - Lane Bryant//Bag - Just Fab

My Curly Hair Regime

I've been getting a lot of questions as to what I use on my curls or what is my hair regime. So I figured I’d give you the rundown of what I've been doing as of late. I have noticed as I've gotten older my hair has changed a lot. My new growth is not the same as the rest of my hair, in curl pattern or texture. I use to be a one product brand type of girl, if it worked for my hair I stuck with it for like ever! But like I previously said, with age came a change in my hair. So I have abandon my old faithful and have ventured out to see what other products might fit the bill. My current regime has been working very well for me and will stick with this for a while. Here’s what I've been doing…

Red, White and Blue

Hi Lovies!

I was recently approached by the UK brand Yours Clothing to review some of their pieces. I had already heard of them and seen a few other bloggers reviews. I've always been partial to UK brands, not only because I'm obsessed with the British but their clothing tend to a little more generous. When I perused the site I was impressed with the variety of things, from basics to staples and super trendy pieces as well. With an international brand it's imperative that you to go by the size chart because they are UK sizes and you have to convert to US sizes. I normally wear US18 and according to their size chart I had to order size US22. I was totally happy when I got the stuff and it all fit well. I picked out a few things (another outfit to come soon!) and this dress was one of them. Now I know Spring has somewhat sprung here in NYC and floral print is all a buzz but for some reason this print caught my eye. I love that this dress had a mix of prints, like stripes, florals and geometric all in one without being too busy. And the color combo worked as well.

Blazer (similar) - Torrid//Dress c/o Yours Clothing//Shoes (similar) - DSW//Bag (similar) - ASOS

Casual Easter

Hi Lovies!

Yesterday was Easter and it was great to see people and kids out in the streets all dolled up in their Easter best. All the pretty pastel colors, the Easter baskets,  and colored eggs, I just love it all. I'm not super religious and my son is all grown up so I don't really have a reason to get dressed up anymore. I normally keep my outfit pretty casual but I still want to have some hint of Easter in it. When I first saw this Pink Moto Jacket from Simply Be last spring, I was totally in love. I didn't get it right away but kept it in my cart for like EVER, hoping for a good sale. Of course this jacket sold out but by some miracle they never removed the one I had in  my cart so I was able to get it! 

Jacket (similar) - Simply Be//Tunic - Wet Seat Plus//Jeans & Shoes - Forever 21

Stepping into Spring

Hi Lovies!

As you know, we are officially in Spring, even though Mother Nature hasn't gotten the memo here in NYC. But I'm not letting that stop me from getting into the spirit. I find that bright, colorful and bold pieces can make you feel like you should be in warmer weather, they just scream spring/summer. So when I saw these pieces from Lane Bryant, I knew they had to be added to my spring wardrobe. 

Instagram Outfit Recap #27

Hi Lovies!

Here's a recap of my Instagram OOTD's from last month! See photos for outfit details.

Charlotte Russe Plus

Hi Lovies!

The retailer Charlotte Russe has recently launched Charlotte Russe+ their plus size clothing line. The line was dropped March 9th and is available on their website and select stores around the country. The line is very youthful, fun and will offer tops, bottoms, dresses, rompers and denim in sizes 16-24/1X-3X. Do refer to their size chart if you aren't sure of your size. It's great to see a brand that offers the same thing in plus that they do in the straight section. When CR approached me to try out their new line I was a bit skeptical because I knew it was junior plus, but upon perusing the clothing, I was able to find a few pieces that I thought were appropriate for me.

(I'm wearing a 3X in all 3 pieces)

Polka Dotted

Hi Lovies!

There are so many beautiful prints that I've seen coming out for the Spring season but one that I'm seeing every where lately is polka dot. I've always loved that print, it just reminds me of my childhood and how my mom would dress me up in polka dot dresses. Now that polka dot has been taken to the next level and I'm definitely digging it. So when the kind folks at IGIGI asked me to review something from their Modern Romance collection, I immediately gravitated to the Loretta Skirt in Downtown Dot. This skirt is perfection, I just love the dainty and frilly feel of it along with the beautiful pleating. Oh did I mention it has pockets?!? SCORE!

Top & Skirt c/o IGIGI//Blazer (similar) - Forever 21//Shoes (similar) - DSW//Purse (similar) - ASOS

Suited Up

Hi Lovies!

As most of you know, I am totally obsessed with anything leopard print but I've seem to have moved on to another print obsession and that's anything grid/window pane print. I just love it, especially in black and white. The obsession first started when my favorite plus size brand Eloquii came out with their Kady Pants in that print (see here), I immediately snatched those up and it's been a love affair since. But when Eloquii decided to make the matching Neoprene Blazer, I nearly lost my mind! Now I am not a suit kinda girl, don't have a need to wear them for work but I knew I had to have this one.

Jacket - Old Navy//Blazer & Pants - Eloquii//Top, Shoes - (similar), Bag (similar) & Necklace (old) - Forever 21

Winter White and Leopard

Hi Lovies!

So March is in full swing and Old Man Winter seems to want to stick around, despite what the Groundhog has to say lol. But Fashion must go on and I want to at least start dressing the part of Spring even though it feels like Winter. What better way to do that than to wear white? Yes, I know the thought of wearing white can be scary for a lot of people but it's all how you put it together. Now don't get me wrong, white scares the heck outta me, not only because it "supposedly" makes you look bigger  but I am known for dropping some kind of anything on myself. So I tend to stay away from that color if possible, but when I saw this midi skirt from ASOS, I felt compelled to get it. I got it from their straight sizes in a 14, it's scuba material and has a lot of stretch. It fit great and I loved how flowy it was. I am definitely going to be rocking this skirt throughout the spring/summer. I didn't want to take away from the skirt so I wore my fav chambray shirt to keep the look light and spingy.

Coat (similar here and here) - Ashley Stewart//Fur Collar (similar)- Nordstroms//Top (similar) - Forever 21//Skirt (similar) & Belt  - ASOS//Shoes - Old Navy//Clutch (similar) - H&M